Secrets of the Caribbean
by Plateado
Summary: COMPLETE! After having left her at Port Royal many years ago, Captain Jack Sparrow thought it was the last he would ever see of Scarlett Bane. He couldn't have been more wrong. COMPLETE!
1. Left Behind

Disclaimer: Pirates of the Caribbean does not belong to me, even if I wish Jack Sparrow did.  I love that guy.  Anyway, most of the characters don't belong to me, but one of the main characters, Scarlett Bane, does belong to me.  She's a character from my original story that I have posted on fictionpress.com.

Please at least give the story a chance.  A review would be nice, too, otherwise I'm pulling the plug on this story.  If I don't know anyone's reading it then I'll just stop.  Thanks!

**Secrets of the Caribbean**

Written by: Riley Barton

[Prelude]

The moon cast a heavenly glow on the serene landscape below, giving the clear ocean water a glistening appeal.  Moored ships lazily bumped up against the wooden docks, the rigging swinging in the ocean breeze. The scene was picturesque, the perfect imagine of an ocean town at night.  But, despite the overall appearance, don't be so easily fooled.  As there is to everything, there is much more to this quaint painting than meets the eye…

The pounding footfalls of running, booted feet ricocheted off the brick walls of the narrow alley as two figures cloaked in darkness sprinted into the empty, cobble-stoned street beyond.  Without slowing they turned left, hurrying their pace as the glistening ocean came into view ahead of them.  Both were breathing heavily with their hearts beating wildly in their chests.  All they had to do was reach the docks, swing aboard the _Black Pearl_, and sail away.  Of course, this was easier said than done.

The _Black Pearl_'s crew was waiting for them, and the second the two figures came into view, the crew launched into action.  Barbossa, the ship's first mate, took his place behind the wheel, shouting out orders to the rest of his mates.  Each member knew what was expected of him and he went at it.  Two ropes were tossed over the _Pearl_'s starboard side, and they were hastily grabbed a hold of by the two pirates cloaked in shadows. Hand over hand, foot over foot, the two pirates made their way to the top; the pirate on the right was swifter.  He swung his agile body over the bulwark and rapidly coiled up the rope he had been using moments before.  He handed the coiled rope to a man standing close at hand and leaned over the railing, glancing first at his fellow pirate who was still steadily climbing up the side of the ship, and then in the direction of the angry shouts and jeers.  His heart skipped a beat when their seven pursuers came into sight, sprinting toward the _Black Pearl_.  Cursing aloud, he looked down at the lithe figure climbing the remaining rope.  Their pursuers would be upon the ship before she even reached within two feet of the bulwark.

He only had one remaining choice.

"Scarlett, toss it to me!"  The climbing figure looked up sharply, briefly pausing in her long climb.  He knew she could hear their pursuers coming; of everyone on the _Black Pearl_, she had the keenest hearing.  He held his breath as she took another two steps up the side of the ship.  "I said, throw it to me!" he shouted down to her, and this time she had no other choice than to comply.  Reluctantly she reached down the front of her shirt, removed a single object from their hiding place between her breasts, and, with one hand tightly gripping the rope, threw it up to him.  He grabbed it in his right hand and stepped away from the bulwark.  He briefly closed his eyes and took a deep breath.  "Good-bye, Scarlett," he whispered to the wind.  With the flick of his wrist, the sword that had been hanging at his side was unsheathed and the blade cut into the wooden railing as it sliced the thick rope into two pieces.  The surprised shout of Scarlett Bane, followed by a loud splash, brought all on deck to a standstill.  The captain of the _Black Pearl_ glared at them all angrily.  "What are you standing around for!" he shouted at his crew.  "Get going!"  The crew snapped back to reality.

Breathing deeply, the captain strode across the deck and into his cabin, letting the door swing shut behind him.  He dropped heavily into his desk chair, kicked his feet up onto the desk, and stared at the object he held in his hand.  The gem was still warm from when it had been tucked between Scarlett Bane's breasts.  

The cabin doors swung open and a large man stepped into the room.  "Captain, we can't just leave her there!" he exclaimed, looking at his captain with utter disbelief.  "I know what she means to you, so I'm certain that-"

"Stick to the code, Bootstrap," the captain growled, quickly placing the gem inside one of his desk drawers and locking it.  He tucked the key into one of his many pockets and stood to his feet.  He walked across the cabin to a small bar in the corner.  "We stick to the code."  Admitting defeat, Bootstrap Bill saluted his captain and left. 

He waited until the door clicked shut before pouring himself a glass of rum.  He set the flagon aside and raised the glass into the air.  "Here's to you, love," he whispered to the empty room, and Captain Jack Sparrow swallowed all that was in the glass in one go.

A/N: Leave a review, please, and let me know whether you like it or not.  It's your reviews that keep this story going!


	2. The Beautiful Informant

A/N: Scarlett Bane is of NO relation to the prostitute named Scarlet in the movie, just so you guys know.

Secrets of the Caribbean

Written by: Riley Barton

[Chapter One]

Eleven Years Later… 

"'Ave ye heard?  Captain Jack Sparrow is returning to Port Royal, and right under the nose of Commodore Norrington, too!"

The cloaked figure in the corner glared at the excited, rotund man sitting at a table three feet away.  The man was leaning heavily across the roughly carved wooden table, his eyes wide with awe.  His two friends didn't look much different; their faces held an expression of reverence for the pirate captain of the _Black Pearl_, as well.

_That's all I've been hearing about for months,_ the figure thought angrily as the large man told his friends that the _Black Pearl_ was expected to pull in under the cloak of darkness sometime during the next three days.  _Captain Jack Sparrow this, and Captain Jack Sparrow that.  If only Jack knew how well known he is around here, nobody would hear the last of it._

"Would you like some more rum?"

The cloaked figure looked up at the waitress through their long hood.  "No, I'm about to leave," the figure replied, gently shaking their head.  They removed some coins from inside the cloak and placed them on the table.  "That should be enough, I would think."  They stood from the chair and brushed past the nervous waitress. 

The air was slightly warm outside, and the figure reached up to remove their hood.  Long blonde hair cascaded over the figure's shoulders and bright green eyes looked about.  Her gaze lingered on the ocean in the distance, staring out to sea.  Night had already fallen, and the moon and stars shone down from above.  Without really knowing why, she started walking in the direction of the docks, her eyes fixated on the distant ocean.  "So, Captain Jack Sparrow is returning to Port Royal, is he?" she whispered to the air, the ghost of a smirk on her full lips.  "Well, I'll just have to give him a welcoming home party, won't I?"

A heavy knock sounded on the solid oak door of Commodore Norrington's office.  Annoyed at the disturbance, the Commodore looked up from his paperwork and glared at the closed door.  "Come in," he called, making an extra effort to keep the annoyance out of his tone.  He had a lot of work to do, and not that much time to do it in.

The door swung open and one of his sentries stepped aside, saluting him respectfully.  "Someone to speak with you, Commodore."

Commodore Norrington looked at the sentry with a bothered stare.  "Tell them to come tomorrow.  I would be more than willing to speak with them then."

The sentry cleared his throat, a flicker of nervousness passing through his dark eyes.  "He insists that what he has to say would be of utmost importance to you, and that it cannot wait another minute."

Sighing, the Commodore set his quill down and folded his hands on top of his desk.  "Then by all means, send him in," he replied, smiling dryly at the sentry.  _I've got all the time in the world,_ he thought angrily.

The sentry had just disappeared from the doorway when a cloaked figure stepped inside.  The cloak's hood was pulled over the caller's head, obscuring their face.  Patiently, the cloaked figure closed the door.

Instinctively, the Commodore retrieved his pistol from a desk drawer and placed it on the desk in plain view.  "Remove your hood, sir," he demanded.

The cloaked figure turned around so they were facing the Commodore, and then reached up to pull back the hood.  Commodore Norrington started, completely surprised that the caller was a woman.  Her thick, long blonde hair draped over her shoulders and her bright green eyes twinkled with a sarcastic gleam.  "Commodore," she said, dipping her head in a vague salute.  When he returned the nod, she smiled and walked forward, holding out her hand.  He grasped it with his own and was surprised by the woman's hidden strength.

"Might I know your name, my lady?" Commodore Norrington asked, setting his weapon aside.  She released his hand and took a seat in a straight-backed chair before the Commodore's desk. 

"Before I release that information to you, I ask of you to promise me that you will not call for my arrest."

Commodore Norrington raised an eyebrow as he took his own seat.  He studied her, trying to place a name to her face.  She was familiar, though the reason why completely eluded him.  "I vow that I will not, but if you so much as raise a hand toward me, I will call for assistance."

"Granted," she replied smoothly.  She paused before continuing.  "My name is Scarlett Bane, and I have come to give you word of a certain pirate that I know you would love to get your hands on."  The expression on the Commodore's face was priceless.

"Scarlett Bane?" he repeated with a dubious look.  "The comrade and lover of Jack Sparrow?"

Scarlett rolled her eyes heavenward and shook her head.  "Ex-comrade, and nix the lover," she said sardonically.  "And I believe he would prefer if you called him Captain Jack Sparrow.  He hates it when people refuse to call him by his proper title."

Commodore Norrington nodded.  "Yes, he always did insist on everyone calling him that."

Scarlett leaned forward, causing the Commodore to quickly lean back in his own chair.  She smirked.  "I'm not here to harm you, Commodore Norrington.  Instead, I've come to let you know that Captain Jack Sparrow will be arriving sometime during the next three days on his ship, the _Black Pearl_.  I believe you have wanted his arrest for a few months now, ever since he escaped you the last time you tried to hang him?"

Commodore Norrington was looking at her with a calculating stare, trying to decide whether she was trustworthy or not.  "How do you know this?" he finally asked.

Again, she rolled her eyes.  "I know this must sound completely unbelievable, especially coming from one of his old comrades, but it's the honest truth.  Jack and I parted ways a few years ago, and I've been out to get my revenge on him ever since."

"What did he do to you?"

She shrugged.  "Let's just say that I was a bit too slow for his liking," she replied.  She almost laughed at the shocked expression on the Commodore's face.  "Whatever you are thinking about, forget it, because it's the complete opposite from that.  It has nothing to do with a bed." 

"Right."  Scarlett smiled as the Commodore sat up a little straighter in his seat.

"Anyway, we've no time to waste," she said abruptly, standing to her feet.  "Jack will be pulling in within the next half hour, and I'm certain you will want to give him a wonderful welcoming party."

Commodore Norrington followed suit, looking at her quizzically.  "I thought you said he would be arriving within the next three nights?"

"I did," Scarlett said over her shoulder as she walked to the door, "but if I know Jack, which I do, then he will be arriving tonight."

"Why?"

Scarlett opened the door, glancing back at him.  "Because tonight is the full moon."  And as if to prove her point, the clouds parted to reveal the full moon, shining in all its glory.

"There they are."

Commodore Norrington glanced at Scarlett Bane.  "Where?" he asked, scanning the horizon for the _Black Pearl_.  "I don't see the ship anywhere."

Scarlett stared at him with a look of indignation.  "You honestly expected Jack to bring the _Black Pearl _right up to the docks, tie her up, and then leave her there until morning?"  She shook her head with a wry smile.  "And here I thought you were much smarter than that."  She pointed to the far right.  "No, if you look carefully, you can see two rowboats coming, and if you look even further, you can just barely see the prow of the _Black Pearl_ behind those cliffs."

"Yes, I see them now."  The Commodore turned to his men and gave them their orders.  The score of men quickly spread out.  The Commodore and Scarlett stayed where they were.  "I believe a thanks is in order," he said, holding his hand out.

Scarlett gripped it firmly and shook it.  "Remember, you are only to catch Jack Sparrow.  The crew is to report back to their ship.  If I see even one member of Jack's crew harmed, I will personally see to it that-"

"You've no need for threats, my lady," the Commodore cut in.  "I understand the terms of our agreement, and my men have been told of them as well.  They will not lay a finger on any member of the crew."

"Good," Scarlett replied.  Her gaze traveled to the sandy beach beyond where she knew the two rowboats would pull up.  "I think I'll stick around to watch."  And without another word, she disappeared into the shadows.

The Commodore sighed, questioning himself as to why he was trusting a pirate.  He shook his head and watched, as the two boats silently grew closer to the beach.  The boat in front ran up onto the beach and three men climbed out.  The last was obviously none other than Jack Sparrow; the drunken walk was more than noticeable.

Neither the Commodore nor his men moved as the second boat pulled up and three more men climbed out.  The squawk of a parrot met the Commodore's ears, and he was instantly reminded of the colourful parrot that had flown about the day Jack Sparrow had almost hung.  The six men made their way up the beach and onto the docks.  None spoke a word as they all followed silently behind their Captain, who swung his head back as he took a long drink from a flagon of rum. 

Suddenly, the small group was surrounded as Commodore Norrington's men dashed from their hiding places, weapons at the ready.  When all looked secure, the Commodore stepped from his hiding place and strode into the small ring.  "We meet again, Jack Sparrow," he replied smugly.

The look of displeasure was evident on Jack's face.  He rolled his eyes, leaning to the right as he did so.  "Captain," he said.  "_Captain_ Jack Sparrow."

The Commodore ignored Jack and looked to the five men standing behind him.  "You five are to return to your ship, and you have my word that you will not be harmed, but do know that if I see so much as a hair from your heads in Port Royal again, you will be taken into custody."

Jack Sparrow's eyebrows rose high on his forehead as he drunkenly looked over his shoulder to his men.  The man directly behind him, Mr. Gibbs, looked at Jack with a furrowed brow.  "We will not leave our Captain behind," he said firmly.

The Commodore sighed.  "I'm afraid you do not have a choice, Mr. Gibbs," he replied in a bored tone.  "My informer gave me explicit orders that Mr. Sparrow's crew was to return to their ship unharmed, and I intend to do so, even if it means forcing you."

"Informer?" Jack echoed, leaning forward toward Norrington.  He gave Norrington a charming smile, taking a step closer to the man. "Who might that be?" he asked, cocking his head to the side.  He waved the flagon of rum in the air for a quick moment before taking another swig.

The Commodore looked at him in disgust.  "That is none of your concern, Mr. Sparrow."

"Captain," Jack reminded him again, jabbing a dirty finger into his chest.

Norrington took a step back and looked to his men.  "Five of you take Mr. Sparrow to his new quarters, and the rest of you show these kind gentleman to their boats."

Scarlett watched in silent pleasure as Jack Sparrow was led away amongst five men, Commodore Norrington walking behind them with a hand resting on the pistol at his side.  She smiled and looked to the cluster of men surrounding Jack.  "I'll be seeing you, Jack," she whispered.  "And much sooner than you may think."

A/N: I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter.  More Captain Jack Sparrow on the way!  Review, please!


	3. Bittersweet Revenge and the Black Pearl

Secrets of the Caribbean

Written By: Riley Barton

[Chapter Two]

Jack Sparrow lazily twirled the empty flagon of rum around and around, watching in utter boredom.  He had been in this very same cell quite a few months ago, and, unfortunately, the door had been fixed and made out of a new metal, meaning that even if Will Turner came to bust him out again, he would not be able to do it in the same manner as he had last time.

He glanced at the two people in the cell beside his.  One of them he recognized from the last time he had been stuck in here, while the other looked freshly caught- his clothes were still in pretty good condition.  The older one was, again, holding a dog bone out through one of the openings in the door, waving it around in an attempt to get the keys from the dog that held them in his mouth.  He rolled his eyes as he watched them.  He had tried that once, when he had gotten really desperate.  It had almost worked until he had insulted the mutt.  Then, shortly after, a dead guard had come rolling down the steps, soon followed by two of his old crewmates.  Yes, he remembered that day well.

Suddenly, the door at the top of the stairs was thrown open and two guards came tumbling down.  Jack raised an eyebrow.  "Déjà vu," he muttered.  Quickly he tossed the empty flagon aside and slumped further on the narrow bench he was sitting on in an effort to make it look as if he was asleep.  He listened as a pair of footsteps came down the stairs, and, from the sound of it, step onto one of the soldier's arms, crushing the bones.  Still, he did not open his eyes until…

"I know you're awake, Jack."

Instantaneously his eyes popped open and his head swiveled in the direction of the _very_ familiar voice.  He stared through the grates of the cell door to the figure standing beyond them.  She still wore her long black cloak with the hood drawn over her head, but he knew it was her- Scarlett.  He still dreamt of that voice at night, especially when he was lonely.  He sat up, swinging his legs over the side of the bench, stumbled to his feet, and slowly made his way to the door.  Casually he looped his arms through the grates, leaning on them, and peered passed the door to the woman on the other side.  He smiled charmingly.  "Scarlett, love," he said huskily.

She reached up and removed her hood so she could glare at him openly.  "Don't start with me, Jack," she warned, her tone of voice masking his.  "I'm not here to get you out."

Jack frowned, understanding flickering across his eyes.  "Ah, so you're the Commodore's informer."

She smirked.  "You deserved to be caught," she spat. 

"Come on, darlin', can't we put the past behind us now?"  His eyes stared into hers, and Scarlett noticed the all-too familiar gleam.  She had once melted whenever he had looked at her that way, but not anymore. 

"You left me," she growled, folding her arms across her chest.  She smiled at the disappointment in his eyes as he realized his only chance of getting to her was not going to work. "And to top it off, it was you who cut the rope."  She lurched forward, bracing her hands against the door, and leaned forward so she was an inch from Jack's face.  "You, Jack, it was all you.  You cut the rope, you left me there, and even you were the cause as to why I was climbing so slowly that night.  It was all because of you, Jack.  All because of you."

"Think clearly, love.  How could I have been the cause as to why you were so slow that night eleven years ago?"  He reached up to stroke her face but she stepped backward, away from him. 

"Think about it," she hissed.  "Think real hard, Jack."  When he continued to stare at her, she scowled, shaking her head.  "Forget it," she grumbled.  She glanced at the men in the cell next to Jack's.  Both men were looking at her with readable expressions on their faces.  "Don't even think about it," she said.

The shuffling of feet and a low growl caused all eyes to turn to the dog in the corner.  He had crawled from his hiding place under the wooden bench, and he was now looking up at Scarlett with an angry look, if that was possible.  Scarlett bent down and held out a hand to the dog.  "Come here," she whispered softly, her voice transforming from an angry to a warm, loving tone.  "I won't hurt you.  Come here."

The dog hesitated, glancing to the three faces peering out from behind the two cell doors.  He looked back to Scarlett and, after a moment, finally seemed to relax.  He slowly padded toward her, sitting down on his rump when he came close enough.  Scarlett reached up and gently massaged the areas behind his ears.  The dog moaned, his tongue hanging out in happiness.  The keys dropped from his mouth and before Jack or the other two prisoners could reach for them, Scarlett brushed them aside.  She continued to rub the dog's ears for another minute before she stopped.  "Good boy," she said, picked up the key ring, and stood to her feet.  The dog barked happily, and then ran past her. 

"What do ye plan on doin' wit' those keys?" the older man in the other cell asked, smiling at her.  She couldn't help noticing the fact that the man was missing all his teeth except three.  She turned her back on him. 

Jack smiled at her, not letting his gaze travel to the keys that he so desperately wanted to get his hands on.  "What _are_ you planning to do with those?" he asked.

She twirled the key ring around her index finger.  "I can only think of one place I would love to put them," she replied seductively, smiling.

The smile on Jack's face didn't falter.  "So you do still have feelings for me then."

Scarlett snarled in a very unladylike fashion and tossed the keys into a far corner, away from both prison cells.  "Bastard," she said through clenched teeth. 

"Sticks and stones, love," he replied. 

Scarlett had really grown to hate that phrase of his.  She sent him one last glare before turning and heading up the stairs.

"You aren't really going to leave me here?" Jack called after her, unable to keep the slight plea out of his voice.

She paused and looked down to him.  "Why should I help you?" she asked him.  "After all, you were the one who let me fall into the ocean and then leave me and your-" She froze, a peculiar look passing over her face.  Fortunately Jack didn't question her about the slip-up.

"I know you think of me as callous, vindictive, and insufferable," Jack said, "but how 'bout we start a'fresh, lay the past behind us?"

Scarlett gave him a blank look.  She took two steps down, making it look as if she was giving in, but then she stopped and bent down to the two limp guards on the floor.  She roughly pushed one of the men aside and removed something from his hand.  She straightened, balancing the canteen in her hand.  She glanced at Jack, hiding a smile, and popped off the canteen's top.  She raised the canteen to her lips and swung her head back, gulping down the fiery liquid.  She drank until it was empty before letting it drop to the floor.  "Rum really is delicious, ain't it?" she asked Jack, smiling at him venomously.

Jack stared at her, his charming smile pasted on his face, but Scarlett could see the longing in his eyes.  She knew that flagon in his cell had dried up long ago, and that the captain of the _Black Pearl_ was craving his favourite drink.  Revenge was bittersweet.

"I'll be seeing you, Jack," she called, waving at him cheekily before disappearing up the stairs.

The _Black Pearl_ bobbed along on the ocean waves with the wind billowing at the canvas sails, the sun basking it in a ray of glory.  It was a shame that the ship was still anchored in the exact position as it had been a week ago.

Scarlett stared up at the large ship as she rowed her boat closer to it.  She had been shocked to find the ship still there, but then she had thought about it, and came to realize that it was a good thing.  Taking over Jack Sparrow's pride and joy and then sailing away, never to return, was enough to satisfy her thirst for revenge. 

Thoughts of her revenge echoed in her mind as she reached the ship and, after securing the boat she had arrived on to the anchor line, she shimmied up the rope.  It was a long, slow climb, and she slid numerous times because of the salty moisture and barnacles that clung to the rope, but after ten minutes she reached the bulwark and clambered over.  She glanced down at her hands, wincing at the major rope burns.  She would worry about those later.  She looked about the deck, searching for a familiar face.  To her surprise, there was only one person on deck, and he was facing in the opposite direction.  Slowly she made her way toward him, creeping along as silent as a mouse.  She had almost reached the man when a loud caw sounded loud and clear, arousing the man's attention.

Scarlett reacted, lunging for the man who had been caught off guard, when suddenly something flew at her, cutting a deep gash along her right upper arm.  She cursed, rolling to the side and gripping her bleeding arm tightly. She looked up, her heart skipping a beat as she found herself surrounded by the crew of the _Black Pearl_.  Not a single one of them were familiar.  She frowned. "Who are all of you?" she asked, looking at each face in turn, hoping she had been mistaken.  "Where are Jacobs and Barbossa, Bootstrap and Connelly?"

A look of surprise flashed across the eyes of every crewmember.  An older looking man with graying hair stepped forward, a look of uncertainty on his face.  "How do ye know of Barbossa and Bootstrap?"

She looked at the man carefully.  "They were old crewmates of mine on this ship eleven years ago.  I hadn't realized Jack had found a new crew."

An air of excitement passed through the crew.  "You know Jack?  How is he?" the man asked quickly, moving closer to her with each word.

Scarlett stumbled to her feet and backed away.  She winced as she bumped into something, her finger roughly running across the bloody gash.  "He's fine," she replied through gritted teeth.  "Misses his rum, the lazy drunk, but he's alive all the same," she added to herself.

"Who ye be, lass?" the man asked, a friendlier tone coming into his voice.

"Scarlett Bane, an old friend of Jack's."  She figured this new crew of his would not take lightly to enemies, so it seemed playing the long forgotten friend was the only way she would be able to get through to them.

"Why should we believe ye!" an angry, feminine voice shouted from the back.  A young woman with tanned skin stepped forward, glaring at her.  "Ye've no proof."

"Settle down, Anamaria," the man said.  "If she says she's a friend of Jack's, we've no reason not to believe 'er."

Scarlett studied the young woman with disdain.  "I see Jack has found a new lover, has he?" she muttered.

Anamaria would have struck her if not for the fact that two of the other men stepped forward to restrain her.  "Shut yer mouth!" she spat.  "I'm no lover of 'is.  He owes me a ship!"

"A ship?"  Scarlett stared at the girl with a look of disbelief. 

"He stole mine," she replied, growling at the memory.  "The thieving bastard!"

Scarlett smiled, cocking her head to the side.  "Actually, I believe the expression is borrowed without permission."

A loud guffaw caused Scarlett to jump and look to the man standing closest.  He slapped his knee and shook his head.  "If ye ain't a friend of Jack's, I'll go to Hell willingly."  He stuck out his hand.  "The name's Gibbs, lass."

She shook his hand after carefully wiping her bloodied hand on her pants.  She couldn't help liking this guy, for some reason.  He just had this friendly persona that drew everyone to him.  "Pleasure," she replied.

"We best get that cut cleaned up," Gibbs said.  "Can't have you dripping blood all over Jack's clean deck now, can we?"

_The horror,_ Scarlett thought with a roll of her eyes.

Gibbs led her into the main cabin and had her sit on the bed while he went about finding the proper materials.  Scarlett gazed about the room, feeling a wave of homesickness sweep over her.  She had spent many hours in this same cabin, pouring over maps and other things with Jack.  They had been close, then.  How could everything have changed so drastically?

"Here we are, lass."  Gibbs sat on the bed beside her and began cleaning the wound.  Scarlett hissed in pain, wincing.  "What, you expected it to be painless?  What kind of a pirate are ye?" Gibbs joked.  He finished wrapping the wound in a makeshift wrap and patted her on the shoulder.  "All done.  You just lie right here while me and the crew 'ave a meetin'."  He stood to leave, but Scarlett called for him to stop.

"A meeting on what?" she asked curiously. 

Gibbs smiled warmly.  "Jack's situation.  We ain't just gonna let him die in that cell.  We're gonna do something about it."

Scarlett frowned. _Why the hell not? _She thought, but said instead, "What about the code?  You know, the code where you leave the stragglers behind?"

Gibbs shrugged, his smile growing.  "We consider the code to be more like guidelines, really.  Sleep well now!"  And he ducked out the door.

Scarlett stared at the closed door in disbelief.  "Guidelines?"  If the code was now considered 'guidelines', how was she going to convince this new crew to leave Jack behind?

A/N: Thank you so much for the reviews!  I was thrilled to get them.  I hope you still like this story.  Don't forget to review!


	4. A Facade of Friendship

Secrets of the Caribbean

Written By: Riley Barton

[Chapter Three]

Scarlett awoke the next morning to find herself alone in Jack's cabin, tucked underneath the covers of his bed.  She sat up sharply, glancing around.  Remembering the circumstances, she sighed in relief, placing a hand at the base of her throat as her heart slowed to a normal pace. 

After a long moment, Scarlett set the bed covers aside and slid from the bed.  Noticing that her boots had been placed at the foot of it, she quickly put them on and grabbed an overcoat from the wardrobe to her left.  She purposefully ignored its familiar scent and left the cabin, stepping out onto the main deck.  She halted in the shadows, watching as Gibbs and another man, who had a parrot on his shoulder, helped a younger man onto the deck of the ship.

"I'm thankful ye could make it, Will," Gibbs said, shaking hands with the man good-naturedly. 

"Why wouldn't I?" the man replied.  He and Mr. Gibbs started walking across the deck, leaving the man with the parrot to take care of the small boat the newcomer had arrived in.  They stopped in the center of the deck, the sun rising in the distance behind them. 

Scarlett's breath caught in her throat as the faint sunlight illuminated the young man's face.  "It can't be," she whispered.  "But he looks just like… Bootstrap?"

"We have a situation on our hands, Will," Gibbs said in a hushed tone, but still loud enough for Scarlett to hear from her hiding place.

"I know that Jack's been taken into custody," Will replied.  "Elizabeth heard word from Commodore Norrington two nights ago.  I haven't been to see him yet."

Gibbs nodded.  "There is that, but we have another situation.  A woman came on board late last night.  She seems to be a friend of Jack's.  She sure as Hell acts like him, but the rest o' the crew ain't too sure."

"Who is she?"

"She's says her name is Scarlett Bane.  Does the name ring a bell?" Gibbs asked hopefully.

Will shook his head slowly.  "Faintly, but I can't put a finger on why."

"Pity," Gibbs mumbled.  "She's a pretty lass, she is, but there's something about her… a ruthlessness, perhaps."

"Where is she now?  I'd like to meet her."

"She's in Jack's cabin as we speak, sleeping.  Mr. Cotton's parrot attacked her when it seemed she was going to do harm to his master."

"Harm Mr. Cotton? Mr. Gibbs, that should tell you enough right there.  And leaving her alone in Jack's cabin, unsupervised?"

"I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself, thanks," Scarlett said, stepping out from the shadows.  She rested a hand on her hip, jutting it out to the right in a seductive manner.  She tilted her head to the side and looked Will up and down.  She frowned.  "You certainly look like Bootstrap," she commented absently, walking closer to him.  She stopped when she was close enough to be intimidating.  "Young, though.  Much younger." 

"His son, actually," Will replied smoothly, keeping his gaze on her face.  "And you must be Scarlett Bane."

"None other."  She shrugged a shoulder.  "And what are you here for?  A meeting with the crew, perhaps?  To decide the fate of little ol' me?"  The displeasure on Will's face brought a smile to her lips.  "I'll take that as a yes, and I'll go even further as to think that you wish to help Captain Jack Sparrow escape?"

Purposefully ignoring her recent comments, Will said, "You look comfortable," commenting on the coat she wore.  "Seems you found your way around Jack's cabin with ease."

Scarlett straightened, her appearance and stance changing from the seductive temptress to the cocky pirate.  "I know my way around this ship well," she replied truthfully.  "After all, I did once live on it."  She smiled and added, "Though I believe I know my way around Jack's cabin much better than the rest of the_ Pearl_."  This last statement seemed to have caught both Will and Gibbs off guard.  She shook her head, the smile disappearing from her face.  "Enough games," she said abruptly.  "What will it take to convince you of my sincerity?"  She looked between both men, searching their faces.

Will uncertainly looked to Gibbs, who gave Scarlett a calculative look.  "Help us," he finally said, glancing at Will from the corner of his eye.  "Help us free Jack from his prison cell in Port Royal and I'll believe ye whole-heartedly."

Will furrowed his brow and looked to Scarlett and then back to Gibbs.  "You can't honestly expect me to work with her?" he asked incredulously.  "She's…"

"If you were thinking the word prostitute, erase it from your mind," Scarlett said dryly.  "I'm no one's prostitute.  I don't give away any part of me for gold."

"Certainly," Gibbs said with a brisk nod.  "So, do we have an accord or not?"

Scarlett's lips tipped up in a smile while she racked her brain anxiously.  Helping Jack escape would only dig herself deeper into this situation than she wanted to be.  _He'll never let me hear the end of it._  But if she didn't, no one on the _Black Pearl_ would trust her.   How could such an easy plan become so complicated?  Biting back a sigh, she nodded.  "Certainly.  I hate to think of Jack locked in a prison cell."  _I'd prefer to think of him as a resident in Hell._

"I can work alone," Will said, giving Gibbs a look that could melt ice. 

"I'm so certain you could," Scarlett spoke up.  "However," she held a finger in the air, "I am interested as to how you would go about it.  There will be, for sure, enough guards there to fill an entire tavern.  So please, enlighten me.  Are your fencing skills so great you can fight off all those men, rescue Jack, and get back to this ship safe and unseen?"

Will looked at her in exasperation.  "How would you go about it?" he asked tightly.

She smirked and turned around as if she was a runway model.  "I am a woman," she replied.  "Enough said."

The dank cell was really starting to grate on Jack Sparrow's nerves.  He had tried everything possible: picking the lock with whatever was at hand, trying to reach the keys Scarlett had tossed into the far corner through the grates in the door, and trying to pull away the bars that blocked the window.  Of course, nothing had worked, but had he honestly expected them to?  Sighing, he crossed his legs at the ankles and folded his arms across his chest, leaning back against the cold, stone wall.  He absently blew a strand of tangled brown hair away from his face, staring up at the ceiling.  His hope for freedom had so greatly diminished that even when he heard the door at the top of the stairs swing open he didn't bat an eyelash. 

The sound of slightly heavy footsteps sounded on the stone stairs, quickly making their way to the bottom.  Jack narrowed his eyes, frowning.  Those were not the footsteps of the typical guard that often came down to 'visit'.  They sounded more like the footsteps of….

"Jack, are you all right?"

_Will Turner._  "Do I look bloody all right?" Jack grumbled, slowly rising from his position on the hard bench.  He smirked, cocking his head to the right.  "How long 'as it been?  Six, seven months now?"

"Later," Will replied absently, examining the new metal door.  "I need to find a way to get you out of here."

Jack raised an eyebrow, his eyes traveling to the keys resting in the corner.  He was about to point them out when they were suddenly lifted off the ground by an unseen person.  He frowned, furrowing his brow as he waited for the person to reveal himself. 

"Move aside," Scarlett grumbled, stepping into the faint moonlight streaming in through the barred windows.  "You obviously prefer to do things the hard way."

Will frowned, noticing the keys in her hand.  "Pardon me," he said sarcastically, stepping aside to give her access to the lock. 

Rolling her eyes, Scarlett stepped up to the door and inserted a key into the lock.  It didn't work.

"Couldn't resist me, eh love?" Jack said, smiling down at her.

 Scarlett's lips turned up into a scowl, but she refused to comment.  After inserting another three keys, she finally found the right one on the fourth try.  "About time," she grumbled, yanking the door open.

"Let's go," Will said, starting for the staircase, "before we draw any more unwanted attention to ourselves."

Scarlett stared after him with a raised eyebrow.  "What's the hurry?  I pretty much killed anyone in sight."

Will looked back at her.  He hesitated.  "Elizabeth is waiting in the smithery.  I don't want to keep her waiting."

Scarlett leaned against the open cell door, ignoring the fact that Jack was lingering in the cell doorway.  "You've got a girl?" she teased, smiling.  "That explains a lot."

Will glared at her.  "What does that mean?"

Feigning innocence, Scarlett straightened and shrugged her shoulders.  "Nothing.  Nothing whatsoever."  She glanced up at Jack, her teasing smile disappearing within a flash.  "You moving or are you going to stand there all day?"

Jack chuckled, shaking his head as he strode out of the cell with a long gait.

Scarlett swiftly closed the cell door behind him.  Jack made to follow Will up the stairs when Scarlett grabbed his arm, preventing him from doing so.  She gave him a hard look.  "If you so much as mention that I've seen you before today, I'll slit your throat while you sleep."

"Does that mean you'll be joining me tonight?"

"Bastard."  Scarlett scowled and brushed past him, not trusting herself to be around him for a moment longer. 

"Will, Jack!"

Scarlett quickly jumped to the side as a pretty girl with long brown hair ran straight at the small group.  Catching her foot on a metal rod, she started to fall backwards, letting out a small yelp that she couldn't have held back even if she had tried.  She landed on the solid ground hard, causing a bolt of pain to shoot up her backbone.  "Blast," she muttered, slowly climbing to her feet.  A hand reached out, grabbed her by the arm, and helped her up. 

"Watch out for metal objects, lass," Jack teased, smiling at her.  "This is a smithery, after all."

She jerked her arm out of his grip and folded her arms across her chest, glaring at the far wall.  "Shut up, you scalawag," she grumbled.

"Sticks and stones, love."

Scarlett fixed him with a look.  "I've heard that phrase more than enough, thank you."

"And who might this be?"

Scarlett looked in the direction of the voice. 

The girl, who she could only assume was Elizabeth, was smiling at her.  She reached out her hand.  "Elizabeth Swann," she said, introducing herself.

Scarlett hesitated before shaking the girl's hand.  Elizabeth's grip was surprisingly stronger than she had expected.  "Scarlett Bane."

"It's a pleasure."  They released each other's hands.  "Any friend of Jack's is a friend of mine."

Scarlett snorted, but quickly realized what she was doing and quickly changed it into a convincing display of coughing.  Elizabeth came closer and gently patted her back like a mother would a child.  Frowning, Scarlett abruptly slowed the coughs so the younger girl would stop with the patting; she felt like a pet dog.  "Sorry," Scarlett apologized, purposefully not looking in Jack's direction.  "Don't know what came over me."

"Are you sure you're all right?" Elizabeth asked.

"Yes, yes, I'm fine," Scarlett quickly replied, casually stepping closer to the door and away from Jack and Elizabeth.  "We should really be going.  Well, it was nice meeting you Elizabeth, and Will, it was great working with you."

Will and Elizabeth exchanged looks.  "We're going with you," Will said, "to the _Black Pearl_."

Scarlett just stared.  "Come again?"

"He mean's they'll be joinin' us on me ship," Jack said, catching her eye.  He raised his eyebrows daringly.  "Savvy?"

Scarlett stared Jack in the eye for a long minute before forcing a smile; she was really getting sick of this friendship charade.  "Will the two of you be setting sail with us, as well?" she asked, looking between Elizabeth and Will.

"That is yet to be decided," Will replied.

Scarlett cleared her throat, feeling as if she was suffocating.  "Alrighty then," she said a bit too cheerfully.  "Let's hit the road, shall we?"

A/N: Please leave a review, savvy?


	5. It Isn't A Skill I Boast About

Thank you!  Thank you, thank you, thank you!  I love the reviews, and do know that constructive criticism is more than welcome.   Criticize my work without giving me some pointer and I won't be too pleased.  wink Screamin-psiren, thank you for the helpful hint.  Jack is a rather hard character to portray, so I am trying, I promise!  I'll make an extra effort in this next chapter!

Secrets of the Caribbean

Written By: Riley Barton

[Chapter Four]

Scarlett drummed her long fingernails on the wooden tabletop in the mess, staring at Elizabeth with a bored expression on her face.  She had been forced to sit in that exact chair for the past hour and a half listening to Elizabeth relate a boring conversation she had had with Commodore Norrington the day before.  Will seemed to be enthralled, though Scarlett highly doubted it was the conversation that he found so interesting to watch.  Jack, on the other hand, who was sitting across from her, was too drunk to care.  After being stuck in a prison cell for an entire week without rum was, to him, enough reason to guzzle four entire bottles of rum, following up by another glass ten minutes later.  He now sat slumped in his seat, leaning back casually with his feet kicked up onto the table.  The chair was wobbling dangerously on its two legs, and Scarlett was waiting for it to collapse underneath its drunken occupant. 

"The Commodore will be so surprised to find that Jack escaped again."

Scarlett came to, pasting an expression of interest on her face moments before Elizabeth looked in her direction.  She smiled at the younger woman.  "Are you very good friends with the Commodore?"

Elizabeth shrugged.  "He and my father are old friends, so we pretty much know each other that way."

"I see." 

Suddenly the sound of a chair breaking and a body toppling to the floor echoed in the room; Scarlett jumped, her head swiveling in Jack's direction.  Where he had been sitting a minute ago was now clear of anyone.  Holding back the laughter that was bubbling up inside her, Scarlett stood from her chair and leaned across the table so she could see Jack sprawled on the floor on the other side.  Somehow he had gotten his legs tangled in the chair as he fell, and the empty bottle of rum he had been holding had broken, sending small shards of glass everywhere.  Scarlett couldn't help herself: she burst out laughing.

"Jack, are you all right?" Elizabeth gasped, jumping to her feet and hurrying around the table from her position next to Scarlett to help the pirate out of his current predicament.  She cast Scarlett a disapproving look as she bent down and tried to disentangle the chair from Jack's legs.

Scarlett collapsed on the table, her joyous laughter seeming to be unstoppable.  Somehow she managed to control herself, though, and said, "Oh, he's fine.  He's done worse to himself."

Will went to help Elizabeth pull their friend to his feet.  Once it seemed Jack could stand on his own they let go of him, Elizabeth excusing herself to fetch a broom. 

"Are you okay?" Will asked, frowning. 

Jack moved from side to side drunkenly, looking at Will with a confused look on his face.  "'Course, mate, why wouldn't'a I be?" he slurred.  He patted Will's shoulder before stumbling to the right.  Scarlett saw it coming before it happened, but she didn't say a word.  Instead, she watched in silent pleasure as Captain Jack Sparrow, the drunken bastard that he was, slipped on the glass shards that littered the floor and fell heavily on his rump. She snorted, holding a hand to her mouth in an effort to stifle another round of laughter.

"What happened?" Elizabeth exclaimed, running back into the mess with a broom in hand.

Scarlett looked at her with a merry gleam in her green eyes.  "Nothing really," she said.  "Jack just slipped and fell again.  Like I said, nothing serious."

"Will, I told you not to let him drink so much of that wretched rum," Elizabeth said, hurrying forward to sweep away the glass into a neat pile. 

"It isn't exactly easy to convince Jack of that," he replied, making an extra effort to lug Jack to his feet.  When he realized it was hopeless to pull up a drunken man by himself, he looked to Scarlett.  "Mind giving me a hand here?" he asked in exasperation.

Scarlett looked at him in surprise.  "What?  Oh, yeah, sure."  She pushed away from the table and went around to where Will and Jack were.  "Stand aside, Will," she said, bending down so she was eye-level with Jack.  "I know how to deal with this."  Will gave her a questioning look, but stepped aside nonetheless.  "Watch and learn, little boy," Scarlett muttered, but just loud enough for Will to hear.

He scowled.  "I'm not that much younger than you," he said.

Scarlett paused and looked up at Will with a smile.  "How old are you, Will?"

He hesitated, not certain if this was a trick.  "Twenty."

"There ya go, then," Scarlett replied, turning her attention back to Jack. 

"How old are _you_?" Will asked pointedly, folding his arms across his chest.

Scarlett glanced at him.  "A woman does not reveal her age, Will.  You should have learned that long ago.  It's suffice to say that I am beyond thirty-five.  Now, are you going to let me get this pathetic drunk off the floor or not?"

Will grunted, leaning against the wall.

"Thank you.  Now, what to do with Jack…"

Scarlett, as swift as an eagle dropping down to earth to catch a mouse, snatched Jack's hat from his head and hurriedly placed it on the floor behind her, out of Jack's view.  Jack's eyes snapped open, narrowing to slits as he stared at Scarlett, who was a mere few inches from him.  "What did yer do wit' me hat?" he asked groggily.

Scarlett smirked.  "Now that I've got your attention," she said, getting to her feet, "we can get you off this floor and onto your own two feet."  She picked his hat up from the floor and placed it on her head.  She reached down, grabbed Jack by the arm, and gently tugged on it.  "Come on, you big lug, move that bony butt of yours.  I know you aren't as pathetic as this," she said.  Jack looked up at her with an expression of indignation.  She raised her eyebrows in reply. "And here I thought the captain of the _Black Pearl_ was the best, but, as it is, I can see how sadly mistaken I was."

Angrily, Jack lurched to his feet, free of any help, and stumbled forward two steps.  He would have fallen for a third time if Scarlett hadn't rushed forward to hold him up.  She had been prepared for that, and had been ready to rush forward at a moment's notice.  "I can stand by meself, lass," Jack said groggily, the after effects of so much drinking still present.  He tried to step out of her tight hold, but she held him in place.

"Unless you want to fall again, I suggest you stop resisting," she said through gritted teeth.  Looking to Will, she motioned for him to take a hold of Jack.  "Take him to his cabin and put him to bed.  He'll have one helluva hangover in the morning, but that's his own doing."

"I'll help," Will said, stepping forward, "but you seem to be better acquainted with this type of behaviour, so I would prefer if you stick around."

Scarlett rolled her eyes.  "It isn't a skill I boast about, I assure you."

"Will you be okay back here?" Will asked Elizabeth, looking back at her over his shoulder.

Elizabeth nodded.  "Yeah, you two take care of Jack.  He needs it more than I do."

"We'll be right back," Will added as he and Scarlett helped Jack out of the mess.

Outside, Mr. Gibbs, who was on the night watch, noticed the trio stumbling out.  He shook his head, smiling, and went to hold open the main cabin's door for them.  "Jack drink too much rum?" he asked with a slight chuckle.

"Yeah," Scarlett replied, grunting as she and Will set Jack onto his bed.  "He's too drunk to even walk a step without falling."

"I resent that," Jack grumbled from his sprawled position on the bed.  "I can too walk, you curs just won't give me th' chance."

Will glanced at Jack doubtfully, but was then distracted by Scarlett, who was bustling about the cabin like she owned the place.  He couldn't help thinking that she knew her way around a bit _too_ well.  She was removing a wool blanket from a cupboard across the room when he came up behind her.  "You know your way around well," he said absently, though the unasked question lingered in the air between them. 

Scarlett didn't pause for a single moment.  She just closed the cupboard door and returned to Jack's bed.  She unfolded the blanket slowly, glancing at Jack's sleeping form; how he managed to fall asleep so quickly was beyond her.  "As I've already told you," she said, setting the blanket on the edge of the bed for the moment, "I once lived on this ship, and Jack's cabin was where I spent most of my time.  Jack and I would sit at his desk for hours on end, pouring over maps of any kind, planning out voyages and the like."  She paused as she yanked off one of Jack's clunky boots and set it on the floor beside the bed.  "I guess you could say I was kind of like a co-captain.  Jack referred to me on most of his decisions, getting my opinions basically."  She removed the other boot and dropped it beside the other.

"Jack Sparrow?" Gibbs asked in disbelief.  "He would never share the _Black Pearl_ with anyone, let alone a woman."

This brought Scarlett to a stop, the wool blanket in her hands.  "I can't say your wrong and I can't say you're right," she said quietly.  She sighed, a certain vulnerability appearing in her that neither Will nor Gibbs ever thought they would be alive to witness in such a strong-willed woman.  "During the last few months before Jack and I… went our separate ways, I guess you could say, he started to change.  He became more treasure-hungry and self-confidant.  I wasn't informed of certain decisions any more, and it eventually got to the point where I was just like any other crew member on his ship."  She spread the blanket out across Jack and tucked him like a mother would her own child.

"You know, you would make a great mother," Will said abruptly, the suspicion gone from his voice, being replaced instead by a kind of compassion.  "My own mother used to tuck me into bed like that."

"What happened to her?" Scarlett asked, folding her arms across her chest.

"She died some years ago," he replied.

Scarlett slowly nodded.  "I had forgotten that Bootstrap had a wife and son."  She smiled. 

"Where you a good friend of his?" Will asked.  Neither he nor Scarlett noticed when Gibbs, with a smile on his lips, slipped out of the main cabin.

"Yeah, I'd like to think that we were good friends near the end, after Jack kind of deserted me, anyway.  We talked a lot long into the night about anything that came to mind.  He spoke of you and his wife often, though I didn't remember that until a few moments ago.  He loved the two of you a lot."

Will didn't say anything for a short while; he just stared at her.  "Thanks.  I needed to hear that."  He paused as a yawn overtook him.  "Guess I better get back to Elizabeth.  She'll be wondering what's taking so long."

Scarlett nodded.  "See you in the morning, then."  She waited until the door closed behind Will Turner before closing her eyes and taking a deep, claming breath.  _Never_ had she felt so vulnerable and yet, at the same time, content in all her life.  Sighing and shaking her head, she turned off the lantern resting on Jack's bedside table, not once looking in Jack's direction.  But if she had, she would have noticed that, in fact, Jack was not asleep, and that he was watching her as she left the cabin.

A/N: Okay, I'm going to stop it there.  I know you guys probably didn't enjoy this chapter too much, since I revealed a part of Scarlett I don't think _anyone_ expected to see.  But you have to realize that even the most stubborn and self-confidant person is vulnerable, it just isn't revealed very often.  –Don't forget to review and tell me what you think!


	6. An Irresistable Captain

Sorry this chapter took so much longer, but I've got to work on my original story, too, which has been updated in some time, so these chapters will be coming out a bit slower than they were, but that does not been this story is discontinued…no, far from it.  I'm having too much fun writing it.  Well, on with the chapter, I guess!

Secrets of the Caribbean

Written By: Riley Barton

[Chapter Five]

"Er, Scarlett, lass, I really don't think ye should be doin' this."

Scarlett raised her eyebrows at Gibbs sarcastically and smirked.  "If Captain Jack Sparrow has a problem with it, then he shall just have to live with it."

"He'll 'ave yer head fer this," Gibbs said, trying once again to persuade her to go against what she was about to do.

She rolled her eyes and sighed.  "Mr. Gibbs, I'm afraid that if we stay here any longer Commodore Norrington will be after us before you can say 'pirate'.  Frankly, I'm surprised he hasn't done so all ready.  So," she added, adjusting the hat (which was actually Jack's) on her head, "we set sail, and if the Cap'n ain't awake when we do so, then maybe next time he'll think twice before getting drunk beyond comprehension."

"Have ye spoken wit' Will and Miss Swann about this?"

"Yes," Scarlett replied absently, remembering the conversation she and Will had had much earlier that morning.  She had been trying to convince him to take Elizabeth back into Port Royal and stay there until the _Black Pearl_'s return, but Will had been far too stubborn and insisted that he stay.  After a heated discussion over that, she had consented; that is until Elizabeth came onto the main deck and demanded that she be allowed to stay with Will.  It had taken all off Scarlett's self control not to blow her top.

"And what did they say?"

Scarlett blinked, coming back to the present.  "They said that they are coming along, and that not even God himself could budge them from the deck," she said dryly.

Gibbs sighed, reaching up to scratch his head.  "Okay then, we'll follow ye, but when Jack comes out shouting bloody Mary ye are takin' th' blame."

Scarlett waved her hand dismissively.  "Yes, yes, that's fine," she grumbled, and then added under her breath, "It's not as if I haven't dealt with him before." 

As Gibbs explained what was going on to the rest of the crew, Scarlett went to the helm of the ship and ran her fingers across it lightly.  A smile came to her lips and she chuckled, reveling in her thoughts.  Even if Gibbs wasn't looking forward to when Jack came out of his cabin and saw what she was doing, she certainly was. She wanted to make Jack angry, ruin his day, or maybe go even further as to ruin his life, thought that would be much harder than it sounded.

"You seem very happy," a voice said from her right, jolting her away from her reverie.

"I am, actually," she replied, looking up at Will.  "It's been some time since I've last been at the helm of a ship.  Almost twelve years, in fact.  Damn, has it been that long?"

"Are you certain you still remember how?" Will asked curiously, glancing from the helm to her.

She scowled at him.  "Of course I still remember," she snapped.  "I may be older than you by a few years, but that does not mean that my memory has gone."

"I wasn't trying to suggest that," he said, holding up his hands in feign surrender.  His eyes traveled up to the hat perched on her head; he frowned.  "Isn't that Jack's hat?"

She nodded.  "Yeah.  I forgot to take it off last night while we were helping Jack to his cabin."  She frowned, quirking an eyebrow.  "What is it you came here for anyway?" She placed a hand on her hip.  "You can't honestly say you came here to ask me why I was wearing Jack's hat?"

"No, I was wanting to know where it is that we're going?"

"I'm not quite sure, really," she replied with a smile.  "I guess we'll sail to Tortuga and plan where to go from there."  She shrugged.  "Unless, of course, Tortuga is much too violent for Elizabeth."

"Elizabeth will do just fine," Will said, glancing away to watch as the crew hurried about getting the ship ready to sail.  "If she handled Barbossa and his crew she can handle Tortuga."

"Barbossa?" Scarlett echoed, frowning darkly.  "What do you mean by that?"

Will looked at her in surprise.  "You don't know?"

"I wouldn't be asking otherwise, now would I?"

"Right.  Well, it's a long story," he said.

"And I've got all day."

"That bloody bastard!"

Scarlett's angry yell startled everyone nearby, causing many pairs of eyes to turn in her direction, only to quickly look away from the burning anger and hate they found in the woman's green eyes.  Her hands were clenching the helm tightly, her knuckles turning white.  Her lips were twisted into a fierce scowl and her eyes were fixed in a steady glare, which, unfortunately, were fixed on Will.

"I can't believe he would do that!  The little…"  Scarlett closed her eyes and took three deep, calming breaths.  "You swear on Elizabeth's life that everything you just said is the bloody truth?"

Will nodded, somehow not being fazed by Scarlett's righteous anger.  "Every word of it."

Mechanically Scarlett loosened her grip on the helm, touching the wood almost hesitantly.  "I always knew there was something not right about Barbossa.  He was always watching mine and Jack's every move, whispering behind our backs."  She felt as if she wanted to kick something.  True, Jack had probably deserved everything Barbossa had done to him, stealing the _Black Pearl_ most of all, so it wasn't entirely because of Jack that she was angry with Barbossa.  No, she was fuming at him because of what he had done to Bootstrap, the one man that had stuck with her even when Jack had turned his back toward her.  Barbossa had killed Bootstrap, sending him all the way down to Davy Jones locker, and that act was unforgivable.

"It's over and done with now," Will said.  "No need to get so angry about it.  Jack got the _Black Pearl_ back, and that's all he cares about."

Scarlett had been about to say that she didn't care about Jack's well-being, but she quickly caught herself.  She was supposed to be a friend of Jack's, not someone out to get revenge.  "Yeah," she mumbled, "right."

Suddenly the sound of a door banging open followed by the hard, unsteady gait of Captain Jack Sparrow met the ears of every person on board.  Will glanced at Scarlett and was curious about the satisfied expression that had come over her face.

"What th' bloody hell is goin' on!  Who's steerin' me ship!?"

Scarlett smirked, glancing around at the ocean that surrounded the _Black Pearl_.  Not a single strip of land was in sight.  Holding back a gleeful chuckle, she stood her ground and gripped the helm like a true captain, briefly reaching up to set Jack's pirate hat cockily over her left eye. 

"You're in for it," Will whispered, the corners of his lips twitching; he was trying desperately not to smile.  "I wish you luck, Scarlett."

"I don't need luck, Will," she replied as Jack's fiery gaze met hers.  "I've got my own good luck charm."

Jack stormed over to the helm, rather roughly brushing Will aside, as Will was standing in his way.  "What the hell," Jack said in a low growl, which only caused the smile Scarlett was trying to hide appear, "do ye think yer doin'?"

She raised an eyebrow.  "Are you really that blind, Jack?" she replied sarcastically.  "What does it look like I'm doing?"  She didn't think she had ever seen him so mad.  Yes, there had been the time when he had found she and Bootstrap guzzling rum one night while she was supposed to be keeping the ship on course, but that was a few smidges less than the anger he was currently showing.  And to be honest, she couldn't have cared less.

Jack stared at her, his dark eyes burning with a deep intensity.  He didn't know how to react, which surprised him more than he wanted to admit.  Scarlett looked so pleased with herself, a smirk on her full lips, a gleam in her beautiful green eyes, and a hat- _his_ hat –teasingly draped over her left eye.  He wanted to wipe that smirk off her face, but how was completely eluding him, making him all the more angry. 

"Cat got your tongue?" she asked teasingly.

He shook his head disbelievingly.  "You…" He swayed for a moment, racking his brain for a witty remark, but nothing came to mind.  Damn that smile of hers!  "You stole me ship."

Scarlett snorted, staring at him in disbelief.  "Thank you for stating the obvious, Captain."  She _so_ wanted to laugh out loud at that moment.  "But, really, I didn't steal it: I borrowed it, although you can't really call this borrowing seeing as you are on board, so really I've just taken control of the ship even though you're here."  All of that came out fast, and the stumped look on Jack's face was priceless. 

"I didn' give ye permission to set sail," he sputtered, knowing how utterly stupid he sounded for stating the obvious again.  He glared at her.  "Where's Gibbs?" he shouted, looking around; he needed an excuse to look away from her. 

"Right here, Jack," Gibbs said, stepping forward.  He smiled apologetically.  "I tried to stop her, but she insisted."

Jack's eyebrows rose.  "And I s'pose ye couldn't resist her charm's, eh?"

Gibbs faltered, shaking his head.  "No, she was just very adamant about it."  He glanced to Scarlett, his look telling her to speak up; she had, after all, said that she would take all the blame. 

Rolling her eyes, Scarlett motioned for Will to take the helm and she stepped forward to Gibbs' rescue.  Making an effort not to scowl, she placed a hand on Jack's arm, bringing his attention away from Gibbs.  "Don't yell at Mr. Gibbs for something he had no choice in," she said, managing to sound condescending and soothing at the same time.  "It was all me, I swear.  Gibbs and the crew honestly had no choice.  To be completely frank, they saved your life.  Had we stayed in that same spot by Port Royal any longer, Commodore Norrington and his men would have been on you like flies.  I would have past the plan onto you but you were asleep in bed suffering from a severe hangover."

Jack glanced down at her hand, which remained on his arm, and she quickly dropped it, a flicker of warning passing through her green eyes.

When Jack didn't say anything to neither her nor Gibbs, she forced a cheery smile and tilted her head to the side- during which the hat she still wore slipped lower over her eye -, making her look all the more irresistible.  "Since we've got this settled then, how 'bout lunch?"

A/N: No, school starts this upcoming Monday.  NO!!  Summer can't be gone, no!  sigh Anyway, hope you enjoyed the chapter (even though I think Jack was WAY out of character), and please review!  They would make me feel so much better and make me forget about school!


	7. Facing the Past

Reviews are such lovely things, and the two reviews that I've gotten so far from PineAppleLint and Toucan Crazy, Like a Sparrow brightened my evening so much that I decided to get started on the next chapter early.  Besides, PineAppleLint gave me an idea..  Well, I hope all of you reviewers like this chapter, I'm postin' them fer you!

Secrets of the Caribbean

Written By: Riley Barton

[Chapter Six]

Scarlett backed up against the grungy, living room wall, staring at the drunken man leering before her.  Her heart beat wildly in her chest and she was breathing in quick gasps.  A thin line of blood weaved its way down her left arm from a long gash on her upper arm, and a faint bruise was forming on her right. 

_"I told you not to speak, whelp!" the man shouted at her, the beer bottle he held in his hand shattering from gripping it so tight.  "You disobedient little-"_

_"Daddy, stop," she said, her voice wavering unwillingly.  She was making a desperate attempt to keep the tears from forming in her green eyes; she knew they would only make Marshall Bane angrier.  "I didn't say anything, I swear!"_

_"You never swear in this house, girl!  Ain't yer mother ever teach yeh that when she were alive?"_

_Scarlett bit her lip as a tear formed in her right eye, lingering for a single moment before rolling down her rosy cheek.  "Don't speak of Mama that way!" she shouted back, a kindling flame of anger and strength burning inside her.  "She didn't do anything!"_

_"Don't you speak back to me that way!" her father roared, and he lunged at her with his arms outstretched._

_Scarlett's eyes widened and she quickly ducked out of her father's way, stumbling to the left and bumping into the weather-beaten sofa that had the springs sticking out with beer stains on it.  She quickly clambered over it, ignoring the pain in her left hip, hoping to place the sofa between she and her drunken father.  _

_"Don't run away from me!"_

_"Leave me alone!"_

_Glancing to the front door of the tiny house she and her father lived in, Scarlett realized it was her one chance of escape.  She looked to her father, who was gaining his bearings, and bolted for the door. Throwing back the lock she swung the door open and ran.  She ran down the run-down, broken cobblestone street to the wharf, going as fast as her legs would carry her.  She could hear her father's angry curses ringing behind her, and him shouting her name angrily._

_"Scarlett!"_

_She shook her head stubbornly, not once slowing to look over her shoulder._

_"Scarlett!"_

_She frowned.  Why did her father sound so urgent?_

_"Scarlett!"_

With a gasp Scarlett bolted upright, her long blonde hair swinging about her shoulders.  She absentmindedly grasped her left upper arm, remembering the intense pain that broken glass shard had inflicted upon it; she still had a thin, faint scar from that night.  She closed her eyes, trying to calm her racing heart and breathing.

"Scarlett, are you all right?"

Scarlet jumped, swinging her head about to look for the person who had spoken.  Her eyes fell on the concerned, pretty face of Elizabeth Swann, and for some odd reason she felt calmer.  She had almost expected to see the leering face of the man who had reeked havoc on her young life.  "I'm fine," she replied slowly, not really feeling fine in all sincerity. 

"No you're not."  Elizabeth sat on the edge of the small bunk and placed a hand on Scarlett's forehead.  "Hm.  You don't feel warm. You must have just been having a bad dream."

"Yeah, a bad dream," Scarlett echoed, staring across the room with a frightened look in her eyes that had not appeared for over twenty years.

"I'm worried about her, Will."

Will looked at Elizabeth over his glass of water with raised eyebrows.  Lowering his glass, he said, "We're talking about Scarlett Bane, here.  That woman could face a wild boar and grin with amusement."

Elizabeth shook her head stubbornly but anxiously.  "You didn't see her eyes, Will.  I have never seen anyone look so frightened.  Whatever she was dreaming about was more than just a simple nightmare."

The door to the mess swung open and Jack Sparrow swaggered in, his hat once again perched on his head and a half-empty glass of rum in his hand.  "Who're ye talkin' 'bout?" he asked, dropping into a seat beside Will and kicking his feet upon the table.

"Scarlett," Will replied.  "It seems she had a bad dream and woke up in a sweat."

Elizabeth sighed.  "I'm serious, you two.  She looked terrified.  She was shaking like a leaf and, for some reason, she grabbed her right arm as if something had cut her."

Abruptly Jack lurched forward, spewing rum all over the table.  With wide eyes he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and stared at Elizabeth.  "What did ye just say?"

Looking somewhat unnerved and displeased, Elizabeth repeated her earlier comment, further explaining Scarlett's reaction to the nightmare.  To both her surprise and Will's, the colour in Jack's face slightly paled and a dead look came into his dark eyes. 

"Jack, are you okay?" Will asked, looking at his friend with a confused look on his handsome face.

Jack blinked, quickly getting to his feet.  "Yeah, mate, why do yeh ask?"  Somehow, Will and Elizabeth were not convinced but didn't manage to get anything else out of their friend since he had quickly left the room. 

Scarlett clasped her hands together in front of her, staring out at the distant ocean waves.  She had a slight headache and she felt cold, colder than one would normally feel outside on a ship.  She closed her eyes, but quickly opened them again as the face of her father had appeared in her mind's eye.

"It was just a bloody dream, Scarlett," she muttered to herself.  "Just a bloody dream."  _It was more than a dream,_ her conscious reminded her.  _It was a memory.  _"Stop it," she whispered through gritted teeth.  "Don't think about it."  Her voice was shaky, and she hated that.  She angrily shoved away from the ships bulwark and spun around, bumping into someone who had been quietly standing behind her.

"Careful there, love," a familiar, husky voice said in her ear.  "Don't want ter knock someone overboard."

Scarlett jumped back, angrily glaring at the pirate she had grown to despise.  "Shut up, Jack," she grumbled, stepping to the side.  "I'm not in the mood."  She made to walk around him when a hand grabbed hold of her shoulder. 

"What waz it 'bout this time?"

Scarlett felt her heart drop, but her anger still held up a front.  She jerked her shoulder away.  "I don't feel like talking about it, so go away, would you?"

"I'm not goin' anywhere, lass."

Scarlett halted, mentally shouting at herself to keep moving, but her legs wouldn't comply.  In frustration and anger she spun around and lunged at Jack, much like her father had many years ago, hoping to slam him back against the bulwark and push him over into the sea.

 Unfortunately, Jack had been expecting her to do something along those lines and he had been ready.  The moment she had turned around he had one foot braced against the ground behind him, situating himself into a stance that would prevent her from knocking him into the sea.  The moment her body slammed into his, he merely stumbled back a step, pain shooting up his right leg.  He grunted, tightly gripping her arms.

"Bastard!" she shouted. 

"Ay, calm down, love, settle down," he said, tightening his grip when she tried to get away.  After letting her angrily struggle for a few minutes, all the while drawing attention to them, he released her left arm and began pulling her after him across the deck to his cabin.  Inside he swung the door closed behind him and leaned back against it, blocking Scarlett's only means of escape.

Seeing that she was trapped inside, Scarlett let out a huff like a small child and dropped into the desk chair, slouching down in the seat.  She kicked her feet up on the desk, ruffling two of the maps that had been strewn out across it, and situated her feet so they were blocking her face from Jack's view.  She knew she was on the verge of angry tears, and she also knew that the moment she did she would really break down crying and the tears would soon become tears of anguish and pure sorrow.  She was _not_ going to let that happen, especially in Jack's cabin with him blocking the door.

_The arrogant bastard,_ she thought, her headache growing to be a severe one.  _Why is he doing this to me?  He knows how much I hate being caged in like an animal._

_That's because he knows that if you feel caged you'll give in,_ a small voice piped up from the back of her mind.  _He knows you well, Scarlett.  Even after eleven years apart he still knows you better than most.  He always did, and he always will._

_Shut up!  I don't want to hear it.  He deserted me, remember?! He turned his back on me; he left me behind to fend for myself!_

_But don't you remember?  He was the one who had always been there for you,_ the voice whispered tauntingly.  _He had always been the one with a shoulder to cry on, the one who bandaged the cuts your father inflicted upon you.  He was the only one who cared._

_The past is gone, done with!_ She retorted mentally.  _Nothing is going to change the fact that, like everyone else in my life, he turned his back on me and left.  He's just like that blasted excuse for a father of mine._

_You know that isn't entirely true, Scarlett.  Look at your situation at this moment.  He's trying to help you and now _you're_ the one shoving him away._

"Enough!"  Scarlett lunged to her feet, which kicked the ripped maps to the floor.  She glared at Jack, taking a deep breath.  "Why are you doing this?"

Jack folded his arms across his chest and smiled that charming half-smile of his.  "What, trapping ye inside me cabin or lettin' ye rip apart me maps?"

Scarlett threw her hands up in frustration and angrily tossed herself back against the wooden chest of drawers behind her.  Mimicking Jack's stance, she folded her arms across her chest.  "Fine," she snarled, her breathing coming in quicker gasps as she restrained the many emotions churning inside her.  "Tell me what it is you want so I can leave!"

Jack didn't reply.  He just stared at her, his eyes flickering down to the thin scar that was hidden beneath her shirtsleeve.  "Ye were dreamin' 'bout the night yer father gave yeh that scar," he stated in that matter-of-fact tone of his.  He turned his head so he was looking at her from the corner of his eyes.  "Weren't yeh?" he added, seeing the flash of fear in her eyes.

Scarlett was starting to shake, and she was tightly gripping her arms, hoping the tight grip would prevent the shaking.  If Jack noticed, she didn't know what she would do with herself.  She had appeared like a weak woman to him too many times in the past, and she was not going to give him the satisfaction of watching her break down now.  "Get out."  Jack didn't move.  "Are you deaf, Jack?  I said to get out and leave me alone!"

Jack slowly moved forward a step, swaying in his usual way, and reached behind him to open the door.  "Is that what ye really want?" he asked.

"Yes!"

"Fine, I'm leavin'."  He turned drunkenly and walked out the door, not once commenting that it was his cabin that she had ordered him out of.

A/N: Wow.  Two chapters finished in one day.  I've impressed myself.  This chapter came out to be far more emotional than I had originally planned, and Scarlett became more.. human, I s'pose you could say?  Hm.  I think I need to go back to the other Scarlett.  She's starting to look like a wimp.  Hmm… Well, review please, and the next chapter will be out soon!!


	8. Blinded By Pride

Reviews are such lovely things, and so, I've decided to take the time to write a quick note to all my reviewers.  If you would rather just read the chapter, scroll down the page until you find it.  Cheers, mates!

-PeLigrOsa: I didn't the write story about the horn of healing, but I did write Lean On Me (although the story title has changed to Clear Minded).  If you wish to read that story just go to my author's profile and you'll find it in my list of stories.

-stitchedpillow: I'm glad you like Scarlett; if you didn't I don't know what I would have to do! And yes, there will be more from Jack's side of the story.  I was planning on doing so, and then when you mentioned it I was like, "oh wow, guess it was a good idea then!" Yes, it does take time for Scarlett to give peoples chances, but I can't say much more on the subject because… I would spoil everything!

-Toucan Crazy, Like a Sparrow: You don't have a locker for the entire school year?  That sucks.  My friend who lives in Florida has the same problem.  Anyway, I love getting a review from you.  You and a few others really make me feel great about my writing and myself.  Thank you bunches!

-Seom: Jack gave up on her because he knows her well and, like I told stitchedpillow, for me to say anymore would spoil everything!  I'm glad you're enjoying this story as much as I love writing it.  Without my reviewers I would be nowhere!

-screamin-psiren: Yes, Jack does act more like an idiot, I completely agree, and I am trying.  I dunno, he's just really difficult, as you well know.  And yeah, I really liked how chapter five turned out.  That chapter went far better than I had originally planned, and you took the words straight from my mouth.  The chapter did make the two seem more intimate.

-Sihaya: One of my very first reviewers. wacky grin Thank you so much!  I'm glad you didn't find Scarlett to be a tad wussy when I started to show her other side.  I liked how you put it, "Every character has to have depth, no matter how strong-willed they are."

-PineAppleLint: What to say to you… hm…Well, you're one of my avid reviewers, and to be honest I really look forward to your reviews.  Yours are so long and make me feel so much better.  And YES!  Our characters were made to be best friends, I swear.  It's rather funny, really.  Haha!  About the emotional thing, I definitely hear you.  I've got to give Scarlett her pride back.  She seems to have lost them during the last two chapters.  Maybe I've been too depressed about school starting or something…

-Taylor: Thanks for the review!  I'm glad you liked the 'interaction', as you said, between Scarlett and Jack, and you're right, she does need someone to talk to, but her pride definitely serves as a strong barrier between them.

-Mrs. Green: No matter how short the review, I still like 'em.  Thanks for takin' the time to do so, and yes, I shall carry on!

-SpAnIsH-EyEs2: I'm glad you like my story!  The entire point is to grab the reader's attention, and I'm glad I've done so!

-songelf88 and G.H.S the warg: I am not saying whether your guess was right or wrong, because to do so would ruin the entire story and there would be no point in anyone reading further, would there?  wink  Either way, I'm glad that I'm making you guys think and try to figure out the little mysteries I leave behind.

-Avey: As I told songelf88 and G.H.S the warg, I can't say whether you're right or wrong.  You'll just have to read to find out.  As for the fight scene were they kiss, thanks for the idea, but it sounds a bit too much like a scene from PineAppleLint's story, but thanks anyway!  I do have some scenes you may find interesting in mind, so just stick with me and you'll see…

-Nebbie Star: Thank you for the compliment!  I felt so happy when I got your review!

-Holly: Another of my first reviewers!  I love you guys! 

-Bright Eyes: Yes, I am planning on continuing until the end.  I have plans for this story!  Mwaha!

Wow.  That took up an entire page.  Hehe, sorry if that fact bothers you, but I just felt like I had to say SOMETHING to all of you!  Anyway, don't think this will take away from the length of the chapter, because it should be just as long as the others, I promise!

Secrets of the Caribbean

Written By: Riley Barton

[Chapter Seven]

Scarlett was not looking forward to facing Elizabeth in the mess the next morning.  She just knew the young woman was going to bombard her with questions of how she was doing, if she needed anything, or if maybe she should go back to her berth and lie down?  Sighing as she reached the doors, she took a deep breath and, holding her head high, strode into the mess.  She looked around in surprise.  She had been expecting most of the crew to be inside eating their breakfast, but instead only two people sat at the table on the end furthest away from the door: Will Turner and Jack Sparrow. 

"Feeling better?" Will called to her.

"Nothing was wrong to begin with," Scarlett replied, making her way across the mess.  She pulled out a chair one down from Will and dropped into it.  Completely ignoring Jack, she looked to Will.  "When are we due to arrive in Tortuga?"

Will glanced in Jack's direction.  Shouldn't she be asking him that question?  He was, as he constantly reminded everyone available, the captain of the _Black Pearl_.  Slowly he replied, "We should be arriving sometime around noon, I would think."

"Good."  Scarlett reached across the table to grab an apple from the fruit basket and took a large bite out of it.  "Let me know when we're about to arrive."  Contently chewing away at her apple, she left the mess and strode out onto the deck, letting the cool ocean breeze tug at her long blonde hair, casting thin wispy strands across her vision.  She reached up to tuck the runaway strand behind her ears and leaned against the bulwark, gazing out to the sea.  The ocean had always been the one thing that could calm her.  It had always been that way.

"Shouldn't ye be workin' instead'a bein' lazy?" a sarcastic voice asked from behind her. 

Grumpily Scarlett turned around, leaning back against the wooden railing as she took another bite from her apple.  She finished chewing the large bite and swallowed before replying.  "Do you always stick your nose where it's not wanted?"

The young woman standing before her growled, giving Scarlett a quick glance over.  What was this girl's name again?  Ah yes… Anamaria.  "Yer mouth an' mind may be quick, but how fast are ye with a blade?"

Scarlett raised an eyebrow, smirking.  "Let's just say I've learned from the best and have managed to beat even Jack in a fight or two."  She carelessly tossed the apple core into the ocean over her shoulder.  "Now, was that a challenge or just a simple statement from a simple half-wit?"

With a vicious snarl Anamaria unsheathed a sword, although from where Scarlett wasn't certain, and swung out toward Scarlett's arm. 

The blonde ducked, the sword blade missing her by a hair.  "Ay!" she exclaimed, rolling to the side.  "What happened to a fair fight?"  She dodged another lunge of Anamaria's blade.

"I'm a pirate," was the simple reply.  "Remember?"  She waited for Scarlett to gain her footing before sweeping the blade out again.  Scarlett jumped away, the sword tip nicking her shoulder.  "Yer fast, I'll give ye that," Anamaria said through gritted teeth.

"Thank you," Scarlett replied in a rush, jumping back a step.

By now the two women had gained the attention of the surrounding crewmen, and the noise had drawn the attention of the others below.  Jack and Will were running onto the main deck just as Scarlett nimbly dodged the blade for a fourth time.  Seeing that Jack, who stood closest to Scarlett's current position, had a sword with him, she grinned and ran toward him, swiftly removing his sword from his sheath.

 Startled, Jack jumped, bumping into Will beside him.  "Careful with that, love!" he exclaimed over the clashing of swords as Scarlett reached up to block a thrust.  "That one's me favourite!"

"Shut up!" both women shouted angrily.  Jack's eyebrows rose in surprise.

Parry, thrust, parry.  The swinging and clashing of swords was becoming monotonous, neither woman striking the other.  Both seemed to be equal in skill, though Scarlett seemed to be quicker on her feet than Anamaria, who had just barely managed to avoid receiving an amputated wrist.

Watching as the two women angrily fought, Jack felt his mind start to drift.  Maybe it was because of the two bottles of rum he had drank the night before, he couldn't really say.  He swayed a bit on his feet, quickly reaching out for something to use as balancing support.  Will, who stood beside him, didn't even notice; he was too enthralled with the fight being played out before him.  Jack reached up to adjust his hat, hoping to block the sun out; it was distorting his vision.  Taking a deep breath, he seemed to gain some sense of rightness again, and continued watching Scarlett and Anamaria fight.  He knew he should probably stop them before one of them killed the other, but something held him back.  He watched Scarlett thrust at Anamaria's right side, quickly bringing his sword back up as Anamaria retaliated. 

Suddenly, the gentle rocking of the boat was gone, and instead of standing on the deck of the _Black Pearl_, Jack found himself standing on a beach with the blue ocean behind him.  He frowned, listening as the sound of clashing swords faded into a steady rhythm of wood against wood.  He looked in that direction, still expecting to see Anamaria and Scarlett fighting, but was surprised to find that in their place where two young children fighting with wooden swords, a boy and a girl.  Jack looked to the boy. 

The boy had dark brown hair that reached his shoulders and wore rather expensive looking clothing.  He knew that boy well.  He had seen that exact same face years ago whenever he had looked in a mirror.  The young boy was none other than Jack Sparrow.  Coming to this realization, he knew who the girl would be before he even looked at her. 

Scarlett.  She looked much the same then at eleven-years-old than she did now.  She still had the same long blonde hair and bright green eyes, and the anger and frustration to burn.  Living with a drunken father could do that to you.

He watched as his younger self rushed Scarlett, bringing the wooden sword up in a defensive motion before making a quick thrust at her side.  She avoided the wooden sword by hopping to the right, and then suddenly rammed into him with her shoulder.  Apparently she had surprised herself at the abrupt force and the two of them went sprawling across the beach, sand kicking up around them in a sandy cloud. 

Once the cloud had faded, Jack could see his younger self lying flat on his back with Scarlett kneeling on top of him, her wooden sword at his throat.   "I got you fair and square," the young Scarlett huffed, breathing from over exertion. 

"Fine, but would ya get off me?" the young Jack replied.

Scarlett pushed away from him, getting to her feet.  A satisfied gleam was in her green eyes and a determined smirk on her lips.  Her facial expressions hadn't changed much. 

As Jack watched the two young friends talk and argue in a friendly banter, a voice entered his mind...

"Jack, you've got to do something.  Jack?"

Will's voice wafted through the air, bringing Jack back to the future in a snap.  He jerked, stumbling forward two steps.  He caught his balance and swung his head back.

"Hey, Jack, you okay?" Will asked his friend in concern.  "You don't look so well."

Jack looked at him, forcing a smile.  "Yeah, I'm fine," he replied.  Upon hearing the sound of steel against steel he looked toward Anamaria and Scarlett.  How long had he been out of it?

Will followed his gaze.  "You've got to do something.  Those two look as if they'll fight until a death occurs."

"What do yeh expect me to do 'bout it?  Scarlett has me sword."

Before Will could offer his own sword to Jack, the sound of a body slamming against the wooden deck resounded in the air.  A rousing cheer erupted from the crew, and Jack quickly strode through them.  He walked up to the two women, one of which lying on the deck with a sword point at her throat, while the other glared down at the dark-skinned women beneath her.  Jack couldn't help recognizing that Scarlett had pinned Anamaria beneath her in the same manner in which she had done to him that one day on the beach many years ago.

"Let 'er up, love," Jack said, the small smile on his lips catching Anamaria's eye.

Scarlett moved the sword tip dangerously close against Anamaria's throat before jerking away, giving the defeated woman room to breath.  She glared down at her.  "Better luck next time, wench," Scarlett growled, roughly passing Jack his sword back and briskly walking across the deck to the ladder that would take her below.  Since Scarlett's back was turned and all eyes were following the victor's retreating back, nobody saw Anamaria stumble to her feet, remove a small dagger from inside her boot, and launch it across the wide deck.

Jack noticed Anamaria too late.  His free hand swung out, grabbing Anamaria's raised right wrist in a tight grip, and quickly looked to Scarlett.  The dagger had been poorly aimed and instead of implanting itself into Scarlett's back, it had merely sliced through her upper right arm, exactly where Mr. Cotton's parrot had cut her a few days ago.  The dagger, with blood soaking the blade, had implanted itself into the bulkhead beyond. 

Scarlett let out a surprised noise that sounded much like a gasp and a scream rolled into one.  She dropped to one knee, gripping her bloody upper arm and gritting her teeth in an effort to contain the loud scream she wanted to let out.  Elizabeth, who had been standing in the back of the crowd, ran to her with Will at her heels.  The crew stood dumbstruck, alarmed at the fact that Anamaria could hold such a deep loathing for someone she barely knew.

Jack stood frozen where he stood, his grip on Anamaria's wrist preventing the woman from getting away.  For the second time that day he snapped back to reality.  "Anamaria," he hissed through gritted teeth, slowly turning his head to glare at the only female in his entire crew.

The hate for Scarlett was shown loud and clear on Anamaria's face as she glared at the fallen women across the main deck.  She didn't feel shame for doing what she did; the woman deserved it.  That scarlet woman was lucky the dagger had been thrown at the wrong angle.

"Take her to the brig," Jack shouted at Gibbs and another man standing beside him.  He yanked on Anamaria's arm and shoved her toward the two men.  "Give 'er only bread and water until I say t' do otherwise."

"Jack!" Elizabeth shouted to him from her kneeling position beside Scarlett.  The expression on her face was one of distress.  He hurried over in that silly, drunken way of his.  He had only just reached them when Scarlett went limp, falling against Will.  He caught her in what looked like a hug, glancing toward Elizabeth and then to Jack; the fact that Scarlett's blood was soaking his clothing didn't seem to affect him. 

"We've got to get her to a doctor," Elizabeth said, looking at the unconscious blonde woman.  "She'll get terribly sick if she doesn't.  The dagger reopened her other wound, and we can't stop the blood from flowing.  We'll be changing the bandages every ten minutes."

"Take her to me berth," Jack instructed, jerkily motioning to the cabin door with his arm.  "I'll get us to Tortuga."  He stumbled away while Will, holding Scarlett in his arms, carried the woman into Jack's berth.

A/N: Okay, so maybe I am making the chapter shorter than the others, but I thought this was a good place to stop.  Not much of a cliffhanger at all, but hey, it works, right?  Well, I'm not really certain when the next chapter will be out.  School starts on Monday, so that's going to be a problem, and then I've also got to keep updating my original story, which is also about pirates, though I swear that I started that story BEFORE Pirates of the Caribbean came out.  So anyway, basically what I'm trying to say is look out for the next chapter, though I can't really tell you when it will be out. –Please leave a review and tell me your thoughts about this chapter.  Cheers!


	9. The Angelic Hellcat

I think I've come upon a compromise between my two current stories.  Since the chapters for this story are shorter than the ones for my original, then I'll write two chapters for this story, post them, and then work on the next chapter for my original.  I'll then post that, and write an additional two chapters for this story, and so on, and so forth.  Hm.  It's a good compromise, I think, and it should work splendidly -where did that word come from? Oh, and before I forget, PineAppleLint, I beg your forgiveness.  Further on in this chapter I use the word 'hellcat', which I believe you used to describe Gallagher in your story.  It was the only word that fit, and if you would really rather I not use it, I can go back later and change it.  The word just fit so perfectly.  gives a pathetic smile

Secrets of the Caribbean

Written By: Riley Barton

[Chapter Eight]

Jack Sparrow leaned back in his seat at his usual haunt in Tortuga, lazily drinking from a flagon of rum.  The _Black Pearl_ had docked at Tortuga two hours ago, the first of which being spent locating a doctor that was willingly to help an injured pirate.  Jack had stuck around long enough to know where Scarlett was staying (which was in a guest room at the doctor's home) and that Elizabeth would watch over her.  He had then left for the tavern he was currently residing in, embellishing himself in rum.  The tavern's owner had been thrilled to see Jack again and had quickly shouted at a man behind the bar to bring 'the charming pirate captain' his usual flagon of rum. 

It had been only four months since Jack's last visit to Tortuga, but he had missed the God-forsaken port anyway.  Drowning away all the problems his life possessed in a flagon of rum had always had an appealing ring to it.  Toss in a woman for the night and you had it good.  It was a shame that this time around Jack didn't seem to have the heart to enjoy it. 

After an hour of sitting on his backside watching other men have fun, Jack stood to his feet, leaving a half-empty flagon of rum on the table, and walked to the door.  The owner saw that Jack was leaving, silently noticing the half-empty flagon at the recently vacated table, and hurried to hail the pirate captain down.

"Leavin' so soon, Jack?" the owner asked with a frown.  "Ye've left half yer rum."

Jack gave the man a bored look.  "I'm just not in the mood tonight," he replied.

"I'm sure I could find a bonny lass to cheer yeh right up."  The owner grinned, thinking he had solved the problem to Jack's downtrodden mood.

"Some other time."  Jack ushered the man aside and strode out the door, letting the door swing shut behind him.  He sighed, adjusting the black hat on his head, and looked about.  He could see the _Black Pearl_ moored at the wharf in the distance, but he knew nothing waited for him there.  He knew that most of his crew would be out galumphing about Tortuga doing God knew what.  All except Mr. Cotton, who had offered (with hand motions and the help of his parrot, mind you) that he would be willing to stay on board and make certain that Anamaria, who was still locked in the brig, didn't try anything foolish.  No, going back to the _Pearl_ did not sound appealing.  The tavern behind him hadn't been satisfactory either. 

With nowhere else to turn, he headed in the direction of the Doctor Lakewood's home on the other side of the city. 

The Lakewood house wasn't the grandest on the street, but it was nice nonetheless.  It had the splendor of a mansion in a small, two-story building that much resembled a large cottage.  Shuttered windows were on either side of the upper story level, and bay windows were placed on the left and right side of the front door.  A light was on in the room to the left when Jack stepped onto the doorstep.  He hesitated for a brief moment before grasping the knocker and rapping it on the door twice.  He stepped back to wait.

The door open a minute later and a young girl with red locks poked her head out.  She looked up at Jack and gasped, her eyes growing wide.  Before Jack could say anything she quickly closed the door, shouting for her mother.  Jack frowned, rolling his eyes; he was not one to have patience with children, and he was not about to wait around while the kid fetched her 'mum'.

Ignoring the proper manners one was expecting to use, Jack pushed open the front door and stepped inside, quietly closing the door with a gentle click.  He glanced through an open archway to his left, found no one to be inside, and made his way for the stairs before him.  He had only climbed three steps before he felt the cold metal of a pistol at the back of his head.

"Hands in the air, pirate," a voice growled in his ear.

Annoyed with the fact that he had been caught, Jack slowly raised his hands into the air and turned around, fixing the man standing before him with a stare.  "Look, mate," he said, but that was as far as he got as the man pressed the pistol further into Jack's face.  

"What business do you have sneaking into my home?"

"Clearly you don't recognize me.  Allow me to introduce meself.  The name's Sparrow."  Jack stuck a hand out, making an attempt to ignore the gun in his face.  "Captain Jack Sparrow of the _Black Pearl_, if you please."

The man lowered his pistol, frowning with displeasure at the many beads and the like strung in Jack's hair and beard.  "You must be a friend of the lass upstairs."  He shook Jack's outstretched hand, looking not at all happy with this fact.  "If you are, then please follow me."

Jack waited for the man to go ahead of him before continuing up the staircase to the second floor. 

"I would ask you to please knock before entering the next time you stop by," the doctor said to the pirate captain over his shoulder. 

"I did, but it seems I frightened that little girl of yours," Jack replied, noticing the little red head with blue eyes looking around the downstairs doorway. 

"Yes, that would by Lydia.  It isn't every day a rogue pirate stops by for tea," the man replied smartly, casting Jack a sarcastic smile as they reached the landing.  "The room you're looking for is the second on the right."

"Thank you," Jack said politely, walking in the direction the man had indicated.  He eyed a sterling silver mirror on the wall by the correct door, lingering for a brief moment until he saw the stern look the doctor was giving him.  With a smile Jack twisted the brass doorknob and stepped into the room.

"Jack!"  Elizabeth stood to her feet from a chair by a roaring fire.  "I wondered if that was you making all the raucous down there."

"Yes," Jack muttered dryly, fingering a golden goblet set on a table by the door.  "It seems these _kind_ folk aren't accustomed to having pirates in the house, even though they do live in Tortuga."  He hefted the goblet in his hand, scrutinizing it with a trained eye. "Very odd, ain't it, that a well-do man and his family live in a place like this?"

"Yes, but I'm thankful all the same," Elizabeth said, glancing in the direction of the bed.  "Scarlett's only grown worse with a fever.  Seems she has caught a virus of some sort.  The doctor said it should go away in a few days, but she'll be in and out until then."

Jack glanced in Scarlett's direction, setting the goblet down upon getting a disapproving glare from Elizabeth. "So then.  Where's the young Mr. William Turner? Seems he never leaves yer side these days."  He dropped heavily into a comfortable chair, his hat tipping backwards. 

"He left a little while ago to find a reasonable inn for us."  Elizabeth went to Scarlett's beside, dipped a cloth into a bowl filled with warm water, and set it across Scarlett's feverish brow.  "I'm in much need of a bath.  Living on a pirate ship does have its disadvantages."

"Don't seem to bother young Will much," Jack replied with a smile.  Elizabeth caught the hidden snide remark and cast him a glare. 

"And what brings you here so early in the night, Jack?" she asked, returning to her seat by the fire.  "I thought you would be at a tavern drinking that disgusting rum of yours with a girl on your lap."

"I grew tired of it."  Jack waved his fingers in the air, as if he were writing something.

"I see."

The two grew quite for a time before a knock sounded on the door behind Jack, and Will Turner stepped inside.  He didn't see Jack sitting in the chair, which was facing away from him, and went straight to Elizabeth, who had stood upon his arrival.  They briefly kissed, both of them seeing to be oblivious to the room's other occupant that was indeed _not_ asleep.

"Ahem."  Jack looked at the two with raised eyebrows and a smile.  The two jumped apart, Elizabeth's cheeks turning a slightly darker shade of pink. 

"Jack, didn't see you there," Will said, gaining his composure much faster than Miss Swann. 

"No one ever does, mate."

"Uh, Jack, would you mind staying here for the night?" Elizabeth asked with a hopeful gleam in her eyes.  "You know, make sure Scarlett gets the proper attention.  All you would really have to do is watch her and if she grows worse get the doctor.  His room is the last door in this corridor."

Jack looked to Will, and he knew he couldn't turn the two down.  They deserved some time alone, so how could he refuse them?  "Yes, go ahead.  I can manage here."

Elizabeth broke out in a smile.  "Thanks, Jack!"  She ducked down to give him a quick peck on the cheek before disappearing out the door.

"Good old Jack," he muttered.  "That's me, all right."

Once the two were gone, Jack didn't know what to do with himself.  Sitting in a chair by a fire all night was far less appealing than it sounded, and after a few minutes he stood to his feet in agitation.  "Some rum would be heavenly," Jack mumbled to himself, looking to the door.  "Wonder if this old man's got any?"

After raiding the kitchen without drawing much attention to himself, beside the cat in the corner, he was forced to live with an apple and a glass of champagne, which he had managed to find in a hidden wine rack.  Taking his findings back upstairs to the room, he sat down in his chair and chewed his apple, mostly out of boredom.  The champagne tasted cheap, but with nothing else to drink Jack managed to swallow the whole of it in a short amount of time.  He had just finished his apple when Scarlett moaned from where she lay on the bed. 

Jack tossed the apple core into the fire and set the empty champagne glass on the mantel with a loud _thunk_.  He went to the bed and gazed down at Scarlett.  The cloth Elizabeth had laid across her brow earlier had fallen off and was leaving a wet spot on the sheet.  Uncertainly, Jack picked the cloth up and, following the steps Elizabeth had used, dipped the cloth into the water bowl and laid it across Scarlett's sweaty brow.  With that done, he wasn't sure what else to do.  Chewing his lip in a nervous state, he glanced around.  Other than the bowl of lukewarm water was a glass of water, some pills, and some stick-looking thing he couldn't identify.  Taking care of a sick person was apparently not Jack's cup of tea.

Scarlett shifted her position on the bed to where she was lying on her side, again letting the cloth fall onto the bed sheet.  Slightly annoyed, Jack picked the cloth up and dropped it into the bowl.  If Scarlett was going to be stubborn about it, even in her sleep, that was just fine with him.  She had always been a stubborn ass anyway.

The thick layer of clouds that had been blocking the moonlight in the sky beyond parted, letting a moonbeam shine in through the open window and land on Scarlett's sleeping form.  Jack halted mid-step, staring at his childhood friend.  She looked so peaceful when she was asleep, like an angel; a major contrast to the stubborn hellcat she was in real life.  Her long blonde hair, a shimmering golden colour from hours out in the sun, cascaded over her shoulders and across the bed's mattress, a single stubborn strand resting across her cheek.  Yes, an angel was the only way to describe her at that moment.

Without fully realizing what he was doing, Jack reached out a ringed finger and brushed the strand of golden blonde hair away from his friend's face.  He felt his skin grow hot as his finger made contact with her soft skin; he had forgotten how soft it was.

The chimes from the grandfather clock downstairs rang through the house, letting everyone inside know the time.  The chimes seemed to be giving Jack a ring of warning, and he quickly stepped away.  Well aware of what he had just been doing, he went to the window, leaning against the wall as he stared out to the ocean beyond.  The moon continued to shine down on the port city below, bathing it in a peaceful light. 

Not far from Tortuga on a ship cloaked in darkness stood a man with dirty brown hair with a smirk on his chapped lips and an evil glint in his cold black eyes.  This man had a date with two certain pirates; it had been that way for over eleven years, but now his time had come.  He could feel something in the wind, something that told him his luck was about to change.  Something was waiting for him in Tortuga, and he couldn't wait to face it head on.

A/N: Another chapter done, and all in one day.  Dang, I'm good!  smiles happily Anyway, this chapter had no action in it, sorry!  But it did have some other things…hehe.  Please leave a friendly review for me!  I would love ya for all eternity.  To find that I have some reviews when I get home from church tomorrow would be so welcoming, and definitely a cheery way to start another year of school.  smile


	10. The Return of An Old Rival

I think I'm gonna change the title for this story.  Where I came up with it in the first place I can't remember, but it's a terrible title, plus it really doesn't have anything to do with the story.  If you guys have ANY suggestions, they would be welcomed with open arms, I assure you.

Secrets of the Caribbean

Written By: Riley Barton

[Chapter Nine]

Less than two days to Tortuga. This one thought continued to run through the mind of Garret Ansgar as he stood firmly at the helm of his ship, gripping it tightly in his strong, calloused hands.  A smirk played at his chapped lips, and his black eyes glinted with unveiled malice.  His hands tightened their hold on the helm, the face of a woman appearing in his minds eye.  She was the cause of his heartache, and with that thought, the face of the woman faded into a younger face, one of a girl with soft brown hair and hazel eyes; she could have been no more than eight.

"I promise, Abigail," Ansgar whispered into the afternoon air.  "I'll get revenge for your death.  That blasted woman and her captain will suffer.  I'll hit 'em where it hurts and give them a slow, painful death."  He shook in anger and anticipation.  "They'll pay, Abby.  I promise, they'll pay."  He looked out across the ocean in the far distance.  _Two more days,_ he thought.  _Less than two days to Tortuga._

Scarlett's condition had considerably improved by the following afternoon, and by nightfall she could sit up in bed and eat.  Her right arm had been put into a sling, and since her writing hand was currently disabled, she was having difficulty using eating utensils with her left hand.  No matter how many times Elizabeth offered to help her, she would give the young woman a glare before stating that she could do it herself and that she didn't need help from anybody.  Knowing the stubbornness the older woman possessed, Elizabeth hadn't pressed.

The doctor checked on his patient often, stopping by every two hours.  Scarlett's success in healing within a much shorter time span than he had originally thought had surprised him thoroughly.  How she had pulled through a virus such as the one she had had within two days had been a miracle.  Or so Doctor Lakewood had told them.  He still insisted, however, that she was not to be moved until he was certain the virus would not come back and that she was fully healed.  He suggested it would take a maximum of another three days.

Elizabeth, who had taken full responsibility of Scarlett, was reading a book Doctor Lakewood had loaned her when she heard the knocker downstairs at the front door sound.  She looked up, already knowing who would be trooping through the guestroom door any minute.  She hadn't seen Jack since yesterday morning when she had returned to relieve him of his shift.  He had seemed very distracted and had simply muttered something about having to hide the_ Black Pearl_ from prying eyes before walking out the door.  He hadn't even given her so much as a smile.  What could have made the ruthless, frivolous, life-adoring captain so unnerved and irritated?  From what she could tell Scarlett had slept the entire time he had been there, so the two couldn't have argued.  She had made a mental note to ask Jack about it when he returned later that night, but Jack hadn't returned, leaving Elizabeth with no other choice than to stay at the Lakewood residence for the night and watch over their friend who continued to slip in and out of wakefulness. 

The sound of voices in the hall, one indefinitely belonging to the rowdy captain, brought Elizabeth to her feet.  Moving to open the door, she heard a groan from the bed and looked in Scarlett's direction.  The older woman had cracked her eyes open, which were glaring at the door.  "If he puts even one foot in this room," Scarlett grumbled, "I'll hurt him."

Elizabeth knew whom her friend was referring to, but the door opened before she could comment.  Jack stumbled into the room, casting a quick glare at the doctor standing behind him.  "No need to shove," Jack said.

Doctor Lakewood stepped inside and gave Elizabeth a withering look.  "Is he really necessary?" he asked, glancing in Jack's direction.  "He was sneaking into the house again."

"Jack!"

Jack shrugged.  "They take too long in openin' the door."

Elizabeth rolled her eyes, shaking her head.  "Sorry, Doctor Lakewood, it won't happen again, I assure you."

The doctor grunted.  "I'll take you up on that promise if the time comes."  He cast Jack one last look before closing the door.

"Jack, honestly," Elizabeth reprimanded.  "You know you don't just walk into someone's house uninvited."

Jack raised an eyebrow questioningly.  "Really?  We pirates do it all th' time when we're on a gold binge."

"Put a cork in it, Sparrow," Scarlett groaned from her position on the bed, using her left arm to push herself into a sitting position and wincing at the exertion.  "I'm not in the mood to listen to you."

"I see Miss Morning Sunshine is awake," Jack said dryly.

"Don't taunt me, Jack.  I'm not as helpless as I may seem."

"I'm certain you aren't," Elizabeth cut in, stepping forward to the bed, "but if we're going to get out of this wretched port any faster you need to stay still and not move so much."

"How long have we been here?" Scarlett asked, watching as Elizabeth went about fluffing the pillows behind her back and neck.

"Almost three days," Elizabeth replied.  She reached for a glass of water and passed it to Scarlett.  "Drink this."

Scarlett brushed the hand holding the glass of water away so she could see Jack more closely; her eyebrows were drawn in a straight line across her forehead.  "Where's the _Black Pearl_?" she asked him.

Jack was leaning back against the wall with his hat cocked jauntily over his eyes so the hat's brim cast a shadow over his face in the dimming sunlight.  "She's safe and sound, love.  Already moved 'er."

"Moved the _Black Pearl _where?" Elizabeth questioned, forcing the water glass into Scarlett's left hand.

"To an inlet I found some years back," Jack replied.  "Fer a ship t' be in Tortuga longer than two days raises questions we don't wanna answer."

Elizabeth nodded slowly.  "I guess that would make sense.  Are you certain this inlet is safe enough?"

Scarlett nodded in between small sips of the water.  "No one was able to find her in the past," she commented, failing to notice the raised eyebrow look Elizabeth cast Scarlett and Jack. 

Elizabeth knew her two pirate friends had a past history and that they had once been co-captains of the _Black Pearl_, but that was to the extent of her knowledge.  She had pieced some puzzle pieces together but they were too small and insignificant to create a clue.  Sighing to herself, she shook her head and took the empty glass from Scarlett's hands.  "Suppose I'll be leaving then," she said, looking to Jack.  "Will should be waiting at the inn we've been staying in."

Comprehension flashed through Scarlett's green eyes.  "You aren't leaving me here alone with this bastard are you?" she demanded to know.

Elizabeth stared at Scarlett head-on, the glare she was receiving not seeming to faze her.  "I need a break," she replied.  "Besides, Jack watched over you before and you're still alive.  It's not like he's going to kill you."

Scarlett scoffed.  "Ha!  As if he hasn't tried in the past," she retorted.  She paused.  "What do you mean he's watched over me before?"

Elizabeth smiled and went to an armchair by the fireplace to gather her few belongings, leaving the book where she had left it for Doctor Lakewood to collect later.  "I'll return in the morning."

"You aren't going anywhere," Scarlett said through gritted teeth.  She was about to pull back the covers and stop the young governor's daughter herself by force, but quickly decided against it, remembering that she was wearing indecent clothing; the nightgown she wore was rather see-through, though a woven pattern conveniently covered the chest area.

"Think clearly here, Scarlett."  Elizabeth looked over her shoulder to her friend.  "I haven't had much rest at all since yesterday morning, and I can't function without sleep."

Jack snorted.  "Are you certain you'll be sleeping when you get back to that inn?"

Elizabeth sent him a murderous glare, her cheeks growing a bit warmer.  "Keep your nose out of places it's not wanted, Mr. Sparrow."  Her voice held a dangerous edge, surprising Scarlett enough to stop short in her argument. 

"Back to Mr. Sparrow, are we?" Jack asked.

"Yes, now get out of my way, sir."  Elizabeth brushed past him to open the door and yanked it open.  The echoing of the door slamming shut had to have wakened the sleeping child in the bedroom down the hall.

Jack didn't move from his position against the wall by the door, and Scarlett continued to glare at the closed door.  The room was cold, and a cool ocean breeze was coming in through the open window.  Scarlett, who was nearest to it, had goosebumps rising on her barren arms, and she resisted the shiver that wanted to run up her spine.  She looked to the window and then to Jack, hinting for him to close it.  He just stared at her with raised eyebrows, his eyes as cold as the breeze.  She frowned.  What had gotten into him?  "Fine," she grumbled through her slightly chattering teeth.  "I'll do it myself."  Pushing aside the covers, she set her bare feet onto the wooden floor and stood, swaying to the right from lightheadedness.  She placed a hand against the wall steadying herself and grabbed the robe hanging on the back of a nearby wooden chair.  Wrapping it around herself she stepped up to the window and reached out to close the glass windows with her one hand.  Her blonde hair blew about her shoulders, the strands whipping about her face and blocking her vision.  She frustratingly tucked the strands behind her ears, only to have them come free again.

Knowing it was hopeless, Scarlett turned around and faced Jack, or should I say the two Jack's standing across the room?  Her vision was going blurry and she was seeing double of everything.  She could feel herself swaying on the spot, but she couldn't help it.  She felt too disoriented.  She felt herself falling to the right, fully expecting the sharp jolt as she slammed into the wooden floor, but it didn't come.  Grasping the strong pair of arms holding her up she managed to stumble to her feet again, her free hand going up to her hot forehead. 

"Ye aren't well enough to be walking around," Jack said, helping her back to the bed.

"Maybe if you would stop being a stubborn jackass and help once in a while." Scarlett dropped onto the bed and sat there, glaring at the fireplace on the wall opposite the bed as what she had just said sunk in.  She blinked.

Jack gave her a weird look.  "Ye've never wanted help before," he said slowly, "so I didn' offer."

"Never mind," Scarlett grumbled, running a hand through her blonde hair.  "Forget I said anything."

Jack stood there for a few minutes watching her, though what he was waiting for Scarlett could only guess at.  After what seemed an eternity he turned and dropped into one of the chairs by the fire, reaching to pick up the book Elizabeth had left there.  He gazed at the front cover, flipped it open and began reading the first few lines.  His eyebrows rose and his lips curled up in disgust; he tossed the book into the fireplace.  "Rubbish," he stated matter-of-factly.  "Pure filth."

"I'm amazed you still remember how to read," Scarlett commented.  Her head was throbbing and her breathing was coming at an uneven rate.  Black spots appeared before her eyes, but she quickly blinked and took a deep, staggering breath to keep conscious.

Jack gave her a look.  "We both know my education was less than outstanding."

"I know."  She rubbed her forehead, her fingertips tingling at the heat she could feel there.  "All that money your poor mother spent, all gone to waste."

Jack glared at her.  "Don't start with me, love.  I've heard that line more than enough in th' past."

"I'm sure you have."  Scarlett's voice came as a whisper, and her head dropped back against the headboard.  Her head felt so heavy.  She closed her eyes, hoping that doing so would stop the buzzing in her head, but instead it grew worse.  Now, not only was her head buzzing but also there was a steady rhythm of banging, like a fist on wood.

Hang on a minute. 

Scarlett cracked her eyes opened again and watched as Jack, his brow furrowed, staggered to his feet and went to the door.  He pulled the door open and looked out just as the doctor did the same from his bedroom door further down the hall.

"I'll take care of it, mate," Jack said, nodding at the glaring doctor.  He ducked back inside the room.  "I'll be only a minute, love," he said to Scarlett before disappearing out the door.  He descended the carpeted staircase to the main floor and to the front door.  A fist was beating on the door with such violence Jack knew it could only be a pirate.  No decent man like the 'good doctor' would be so anxious.  Unless, of course, someone was in desperate need of a doctor, but if that was the case then he would just leave the crying noisemaker to his own devices.

He unlatched the door before twisting the doorknob open and peering out.  He was bombarded by Gibbs, who came rushing in with a wild look on his aging face.  "Jack, I'm so glad ye're here," Gibbs gasped.

Jacks placed his hands on the shorter mans shoulders and looked him in the eye.  "What's all the raucous for, mate?"

"Some pirate, a captain, is lookin' fer yeh," Gibbs said.  "I don't recognize 'im, but he obviously knows you.  'E asked old Barlow whether he had seen ye and Miss Scarlett 'round."

Jack's face darkened.  "And Barlow said?"

"Of course 'e said he had, and this pirate captain fellow grinned.  He kept askin' questions that I knew would lead ta' no good.  I came as fast as I could.  I had to slip out the back so I was not to be noticed."

Jack's grip on Gibbs shoulders tightened.  "What was this captain's name, Gibbs?"

Gibbs hesitated.  "I didn't get 'is proper name, but some crew member of his called him Cap'n Ansgar."

"And you said he was looking for me and Scarlett?"

Gibbs nodded, the anxiousness he heard in Jack's voice confirming his suspicions.  Jack and Scarlett had some hidden past with this newly arrived captain. 

"Gibbs, listen to me.  Find Will and Elizabeth, and get th' rest o' the crew to the _Black Pearl_.  Stay hidden, don't let anyone see you or where you are going."

Again, Gibbs nodded.  "Sure thing, Captain.  Will you be getting Miss Scarlett?"

Jack nodded, looking up the staircase to the second floor.  "Aye, now get!  We'll meet ya at the _Pearl_."

The two men parted, Gibbs running out the front door and into the shadows, and Jack sprinting up the staircase two steps at a time.

Scarlett frowned in confusion as Jack burst into the room, a wild look in his dark eyes.  "What is it?" she whispered, swaying from her position on the bed.  She reached out her left hand to steady herself against the nightstand.

"Ansgar," Jack replied simply.  "He's back."

A/N: Well.  There's the next chapter, and it's longer than the others, too!  So sorry about the wait, guys!  School started and I had so much going on that this story got put upon a shelf collecting dust until I had the time.  This Labour Day weekend gave me that chance.  Please leave a review when you finish!  I've desperately missed them, and hearing from you guys would be great.  Reviews are what I thrive on. 


	11. A Team Once More

Author's Note: I grow all the more in love with this story as it progresses, and to top it off I know how the next few chapters will play out.  For the most part anyway. Thinks Anyway, thank you so much for the encouragement PineAppleLint, you know, what with portraying the characters right and all.  I just felt so warm and fuzzy inside after reading that.  And thank you to my new reviewers, uh, hang on and let me find your names.  Disappears for a moment as she shuffles through papers AHA! Daemonwolf and jadedrose01!  Yes, thank you for the reviews.  I felt so happy after reading your reviews as well.

Well, I guess we should get on with the chapter.  Hm, or maybe I should just keep rambling on for hours on end until I drive all of you completely up the wall and you just ignore this author's note entirely…or maybe you've already done that and I'm writing to an audience that's not even there?  Well, since that is probably the case, on with the next chapter then!  Cheers!

Secrets of the Caribbean 

Written By: Riley Barton

[Chapter Ten]

Scarlett's grip on the bedside table tightened and her face went pale.  Her heart, which was already beating faster than it should have been, quickened the pace.  "You've got to be kidding," she whispered, shaking her head.  "He can't still be holding a grudge after so many years!"

Jack shrugged.  "Apparently he's a man that never forgets."  He frowned.  "Now where did they put yer clothes, love?"

Even in a dangerous situation such as this, Scarlett couldn't help giving her childhood friend a stupid look.  "Hm, in the wardrobe, perhaps?" she said sarcastically.

"Right ye are!"  Jack jumped forward and swung the wardrobe doors open.  Tossing Scarlett her things over his shoulder, he cleared out the wardrobe.

"Gee, thanks, Jack," Scarlett grumbled, pushing aside a white frilly shirt that was _definitely_ not hers.  "You're a bunch of help."

"Jus' doin' what I can," he replied.  He went to the window, his cheerful mood disappearing quicker than water running through a strainer.  "Hurry up, Scarlett, it won't be long a'fore Ansgar latches onto our tails."

"Some privacy would be welcome."  Scarlett glared at him from her unusual position, which had half of her body still under the covers while the other half was out. 

Jack stood at the window, staring at her as if she had said pigs could fly.  He slowly nodded and turned on his heel, slightly swaying to the right in the process of doing so.  Scarlett didn't move from her uncomfortable position until the door closed shut behind him.

She groggily climbed the rest of the way out of the bed and began dressing as quickly as her weak body would allow.  Her mind was a bit too fuzzy, and twice she caught herself trying to slip her long legs through the armholes in her torn, sleeveless shirt.

 By the time she was finished Jack was pacing nervously in the upstairs hall outside her door.  She stumbled out and closed the door behind her.  "Ready," she said.

"About bloody time," Jack grumbled, grabbing her arm and pulling her down the stairs.

Her pounding head and weak limbs wouldn't allow this rough handling, and she found herself tripping more than enough times to count.  Jack yanked the front door open and the two stepped outside, a blast of cool air wrapping around them.  Scarlett shivered; her sleeveless top and tattered khaki capri's were not giving her much protection from the cold.  "Shut the door," she said through chattering teeth.  Jack left her side for a moment in a huff, closed the front door to the Lakewood's home, and then the two pirates disappeared into the shadows of the night.

Two tall, lanky pirates slinked through the dark night, the setting sun long gone from the sky.  One hobbled along as if his ankle was broken, and the other gazed about with wide, watchful eyes.  The two looked to be quite a pair from a distance.  Frightening, but an interesting sight nonetheless.  The pirate with the limp looked over his shoulder with his bushy eyebrows drawn together over his small, snake-like eyes.

"I think we's bein' followed, Rhett," he whispered.  "Th' shadow's keep movin'."

Rhett stopped and turned around glaring at his companion.  "Now lookee here, Bart, if there t'was anyone's lurkin' 'bout behind us, I would'a seen 'em!"

 "Then I guess yer blind, mate," a husky voice said from behind Rhett's back, and before the pig-eyed man could protest, his throat was cut. 

Bart was about to call out for help when he was tripped, falling flat on his face.  He let out a muffled grunt as Jack Sparrow stepped out from the darkness and placed a booted foot at the base of the lanky pirates back, resting the sharp point of his newly-attained dagger at the man's back. 

"Since I seem to be th' one in control here, how 'bout we have a lil chat, eh?"

Scarlett Bane stumbled forward, gasping for air as she held a hand to her sweaty forehead.  Her eyes were bloodshot and she was breathing heavily.  Even from his position on the ground Bart could see the woman was in great pain.  He didn't recognize her at first, but when the man at his back told the woman, Scarlett he called her, to get back, he knew who these two people were.

Bart squirmed, stopping as the dagger point pricked his skin and drew blood.  "What do ye want wit' me?" he asked.

"Answers," Jack replied," and you'll answer them truthfully, unless o' course ye'd like to be swimmin' in yer own blood."

Scarlett leaned back against the wall of an old, rundown inn with her eyes closed, only faintly hearing the forced conversation between Jack and his captive.  Now, not only was she seeing double but her hearing was starting to go too.  Jack's voice rose and fell away, and sometimes Scarlett thought that he had left her entirely when she wasn't able to hear him.  Her head was pounding maliciously to a jungle beat that only she could hear, and she could have sworn her heart was in her throat.  Stumbling to the side, she rammed her right arm against a staircase railing and she hissed in pain.  She didn't know how much longer she could hold this up. 

"Scarlett, we've got to move."

She could hear him, but only slightly; the steady beat in her mind was drowning Jack's voice out.  She felt him wrap an arm around her waist in an attempt to hold her up, and she willingly fell into him. 

"Ay, come on, love," Jack whispered. "I can't hold both our weights by meself."

The two made slow progress making their way down to the wharf, and many times they were forced to hide in the shadows and behind objects to prevent anyone from seeing them.  They had yet to run in with Garret Ansgar, but how long they could keep this up was uncertain.  Jack and Scarlett cut through alleyways and along the beach, any way that would lead them to the hidden inlet safe and unseen. 

They had been within a few feet of the inlet's hidden entrance when they heard the sound of approaching feet from both directions; one was a slow, leisurely gait while the other was swift.  Jack pulled Scarlett into the shadows underneath the wooden boardwalk overhead, disappearing from view.  He set Scarlett on the sand where she could rest while he remained standing, straining to listen to the conversation going on above him on the dock.

"We found it, Captain," came an excited, shrill voice.  "We found 'is ship!"

"Are you certain this ship is the one we're lookin' for?" came a gruff reply.  Jack knew that voice well, as did Scarlett.  Garret Ansgar.

"We're sure of it!  Big black sails an' all!"  Jack could almost hear the excited man's head bobbing up and down.  "It's the _Black Pearl_ alrigh'.  Th' crew's getting' it ready t' sail."

"Sail? They must know we're here, and that means Sparrow and Bane do as well."  Ansgar ground his boot heel into the wooden dock.  "Find them, and quickly!  Have Shyster and Barkley watch the _Pearl._  That ship will not leave Tortuga!"

Jack frowned grimly and turned back to Scarlett.  "Do you think ye can run to the_ Pearl_?" he asked her quietly.  He knew it was asking a lot, but he had to stop Ansgar.

Scarlett slowly nodded, staggering to her feet.  She was swaying from side to side and sweat was rolling down her face and neck.  "I think I can make it," she said just above a whisper.  Jack had barely heard her. 

"Warn them that Ansgar is on his way.  None of them know Ansgar like we do, just tell them to kill anyone they don't recognize in th' area.  Gibbs can take it from there."

"Where are you going?"

"I'm goin' after Ansgar and that crony of 'is, try to slow 'em down."

Scarlett meekly nodded, licking her dry lips.  "Be careful."

"I'll be fine," Jack replied.  "Ye just be careful, and hurry.  Take this and kill anyone that gets close."  Jack passed her a pistol that he had taken off of Rhett's dead body.  "Now go."

Scarlett took the pistol and staggered away into the dark.  She agonizingly made her way across the remaining strip of beach and ducked through the narrow passageway that led into the inlet.  There were two entrances to the inlet, this one being the hardest to find.  The other was easier, and she assumed that it was that other way that Ansgar's crony had found.  She slipped through, a wave of relief flowing over her as the towering frame of the _Black Pearl _leered above her. 

Suddenly someone came from behind and wrapped their arms around her waist and neck, cutting off her oxygen supply.  Her head swam wildly and black dots blinded her vision.  The pistol Jack had given her dropped to the sandy beach, and the sound of a bullet shot ripped through the air as Scarlett blacked out.

Jack fingered the dagger he held in his hand as he stealthily followed Garret Ansgar through the dark, grungy streets of Tortuga.  Twice he had almost been revealed by whores waiting for their next paycheck to come along, but like a cat, he had managed to avoid them like the plague. 

He knew where Ansgar was going, and he knew he couldn't let the pirate captain get there.  He also knew that he couldn't go much further or he might never make it back to the _Pearl_.  Narrowing his dark eyes, he quickened his pace.  He held the dagger's blade in his fingers and drew his arm back.  What he hadn't been expecting was the cat to jump out of nowhere.

Startled, Jack jumped, knocking into a trash bin somewhere to his left.  Ansgar quickly turned around to see what the commotion was about, and before Jack thought about what he was doing, he let the dagger fly.  He didn't even stick around to see how much damage had been done.

A/N: Sorry that this chapter is short, as all of them seem to be.  I just thought that the part with Scarlett was a good cliffhanger, so I thought, "what the hell?"  And as PineAppleLint puts it, 'remember to do what all of you do best' and click the review button.  You will feel so much happier after having left a review because you know that it makes me so happy to get one!


	12. Standing On Her Own Two Feet

PineAppleLint: To be completely frank… I have no idea what the hell I am doing!  I have a basic idea of where I'm going, but like you, I wing it.  I had no idea how that chapter would turn out until I finished it.  laughs  Anyway, I'm writing this only moments after receiving your review.  The moment the message popped up saying I had a review I was thinking, "that must be PineAppleLint!  Whee-hee, I wonder what she has to say!"  So yeah, you just made my day.  Just thought you should know that.  But you wanna know something?  I would love to e-mail you and be able to have an actual correspondence and not have to talk through reviews, but my dad will not let me give my e-mail out to people I haven't met in person glares Sometimes I hate parents…

And to all my other reviews that-I don't-have-the-time-to-write-personal-notes-to: I LOVE YOU GUYS!!!!!   Without your reviews I would be nowhere, or maybe I should say this story would be nowhere? 

Secrets of the Caribbean 

Written By: Riley Barton

[Chapter Eleven]

Elizabeth tightened her grip on the golden candelabra she held in her hands, ready to slam it into the head of the first person that walked through that door.  The sound of swords clashing could be heard from her temporarily safe location in the mess, and though that sound was chilling, the gunshot she had heard a few minutes ago had startled her beyond reason.  She couldn't help thinking that someone she knew was lying on the ground, dying, while she was safe and sound.  Why had Will insisted that she stay in there?  She had dealt with Barbossa and his crew, so why couldn't she handle a couple of pirates?  She knew there could be no more than three out there, fighting the entire _Black Pearl_'s crew single-handedly.  How much longer could this pathetic fight wear on?

In answer to the unspoken question, the door burst open and a man stumbled inside.  Elizabeth bolted forward, swinging out with her makeshift weapon.  The man instinctively covered his head with his arms, and the candelabra slammed into his left wrist.

"Ay!  Elizabeth!"

Elizabeth froze, staring wide-eyed at the man she had just struck.  "Oh, Will, I'm so sorry!" she gasped out, dropping the candelabra to the floor.  "Is it broken?" 

Will winced, holding up his left hand.  "No, but it's badly bruised."  He chuckled.  "At least I know you can take care of yourself."

"We'll need to get some ice or something on that."

"Really, I'll be fine."

"If you're certain."  Elizabeth seemed doubtful, but let it slide.  "Do we have any idea who these pirates are yet?"

Will, massaging the growing bruise on his wrist, shrugged.  "All I could get out of Mr. Gibbs was that they're enemies of Jack and Scarlett and that some captain they call Garret Ansgar is looking for them. Gibbs only just barely saw the two spies lingering inside the inlet."

"How many are there?"

"Three, but one's dead.  I was the only one to see him.  He had snuck in through another entrance and I shot him.  It looked as if he had been struggling with someone, but when he dropped to the ground no one else was standing there."

Elizabeth frowned.  So Will had been the cause of the gunshot.  She shivered, trying to block the mental picture of the man she loved killing someone, even if the person was a pirate.  "Have Jack and Scarlett arrived yet?"

Will shook his head gravely.  "Not yet, but we're all looking out for them.  They should be arriving together."

Gibbs stumbled into the room, swiping a hand across a bleeding cut on his forehead.  He smiled wryly.  "Got 'em," he stated.  "There was only two of 'em, but they put up a Hell of'a fight."

"Was anyone on our side hurt?"

"Not as far as we can tell."  A worry line creased his forehead.  "I'm starting to worry 'bout Scarlett and Jack, though.  No one's seen 'em at all."

"Scarlett isn't here?" a voice asked from behind Gibbs.

The three in the mess jumped, none of them having heard Jack approach.

"Jack, you're alive!"  Will seemed relieved at this.

Jack ignored him, looking between Elizabeth and Gibbs.  "Scarlett should 'ave been here over five minutes ago," he said.

A jolt of worry rose up inside Elizabeth.  "She wasn't with you?"

Jack shook his head.  "She was, but then we went out separate ways.  She was s'pose to come 'ere while I went after Ansgar."

"Jack, you shouldn't have left her alone!" Elizabeth exclaimed.  "She's ill!"

"We weren't that far from one'a the entrances!" he said in his defense.

 Will paused.  "Which entrance did she come in through?" he asked slowly. 

"Th' harder one on the far end of the beach.  Why?"

Will looked to Elizabeth, who was slowly starting to understand.  Her eyes widened and a hand rose to her mouth.  "You don't think…"

Will nodded, looking back to Jack.  "I think I know where we can find her, but Jack, be prepared for the worst."

The cool ocean breeze blew her blonde hair across her vision and a serene smile lit the face of Scarlett Bane.  She took a calming breath and leaned out over the railing of a ship, basking in the breeze and smell of the ocean air.  Everything was so peaceful, and she felt as if she was queen of the seven seas.  All her worries were behind her.  All she would focus on now was the gentle rocking of the ship underneath her feet and the song of the seagulls flying overhead in the clear blue sky. 

Suddenly the sound of approaching footsteps behind her drew her gaze away from the glittering crystal blue ocean to a man standing a few feet behind her.  She frowned, not being able to see his face due to a sudden fog that had enshrouded the deck.  She strained to see through the haze, feeling frustrated that she could not.  "Who's there?" she called.

Silence was her answer, but then the sound of footsteps drew nearer, a black shape coming toward her.  Involuntarily she took a step back, her back pressing up against the wooden railing.  "Answer me!" she demanded angrily.

"You always were an inquisitive one, weren't you, kid?" the man said tauntingly, his voice revealing a ring of sarcasm and pleasure.

Scarlett knew that voice, and a mental image of this man appeared in her mind before she could even see his face.  Fear rose inside her, an emotion and feeling she loathed more than anything.  She wasn't supposed to be afraid of anything, her father most of all.

 "Are you frightened, Scarlett?" her father asked, smirking.  He reached out a hand and stroked her face.  She jerked back; he laughed.  "You never did stick up for yourself.  Always hiding behind that rich kid, you were.  What was his name?"  He paused, a slow smile of recognition crossing his cruel face.  "Ah yes, Jack, wasn't it?  The whelp of Carver and Aubrianna Anderton?"

Scarlett glared at him.  "Piss off," she growled.

Marshall Bane shook his head, a twinkling gleam forming in his eyes.   A chill went down her spine at the gleam that was all too familiar.  "You've got a soft spot for him, don't you?  Maybe you even-"

"Shut up!"  Scarlett felt a flaming heat rise to the surface and her hands balled into fists.  "One more word from that mouth of yours and I swear I'll kill you."

"'Bout time you stuck up for yourself."

Scarlett rammed into him, slamming her father to the ship's deck.  She swung her fist back, ready to punch his nose in, but now the face she was staring at wasn't her father.  Instead, it was that of a young boy with curly black hair hanging down to his shoulders with rich brown eyes.  Her heart went into her throat.  "Oh my God," she whispered, quickly backing away.    She crawled backwards, tumbling to her feet, using the railing as support.  She watched as the young boy stood up, his gazing turning up to meet hers. 

"You were going to hurt me," he whispered brokenly, tears welling up in his eyes. 

Scarlett shook her head, a single tear rising in her own eye.  "No, I wasn't… I – I thought-"  She jerked as the young boy abruptly grew taller, his curly black hair growing out into a straight, thick mass of black hair strung with beads.  The eyes didn't change, still the same dark brown, except now the young boy had become Jack Sparrow. 

"Scarlett."

"No, this isn't happening," Scarlett whispered.  "This is a dream, it can't be real."  She gripped her head as she began to shake.  "This isn't real, it can't be.  It just can't!" 

"Settle down, Scarlett."

"No!" she exclaimed, jamming her eyes closed.  "This isn't real, it can't be real. You aren't real, this isn't real.  It's a figment of my imagination.  None of this is true, none of this ever happened.  I'm safe in my own bed, sleeping without a care in the world."

"She's hallucinating.  Is there anything we can do for her?" 

Where had that voice come from?

"This isn't happening."  Scarlett looked up to find that Jack still stood before her, a cocky smile underneath the mustache.  She glared at him.  "Bastard!  What are you doing to me!" 

"She's growing worse," another voice said.  "There has to be something we can do for her!"

"No, there isn't.  She'll have to come around in her own time."

"To hell with time!"

Scarlett shook her head furiously.  All these voices in her head, they were trying to disorient her, make her believe in something that wasn't there, that wasn't real.  She had to get away, she had to hurt, kill, slash and scream.  She had to do something to make them stop!

"Leave me alone!" she screamed, furiously letting out a fury of punches at the man -Jack- who stood before her in the fog on the deck of a ship in the middle of the ocean.  Jack didn't protest.  He merely let her at him, not even wincing as her fist slammed into his stomach.  "Go to Hell, Jack!  To Hell with all of you!  I don't need you, I don't need any of you!"

"What's she saying?"

"I can't tell, but I think she's talking 'bout Jack."

"I'm going to get him."

Scarlett let out a frustrated yell, putting all of her strength into the punches she was throwing at Jack.  The cocky smirk had gone, but still he did not protest or fight back.  He was letting her beat him.  "Fight back!" she exclaimed angrily.  "I'm not so weak that I can't kill you anyway!  Come on!"

"What's going on?"

"I think she's fighting someone in her mind.  You, it seems like."

"You left me, Jack!  You left me all alone with nowhere to go.  I never should have trusted you; I never should have trusted anyone!  Every person I have put my trust in deserted me, but let me fill you in on something!  I don't need you!  I don't need any of you!  I can stand on my own two feet and face Lucifer head-on with a smile.  Nothing!  You hear me?  Nothing will ever stop me!"

Scarlett swung her fist back for one last punch and slammed it into Jack's face.  The crunch of cartilage underneath her fingers gave her a satisfied feeling, but then he was gone.  Jack no longer stood before her. 

"She's done it!  God dammit, she's broken the fever!"

As if blown over by a sharp gust of wind Scarlett fell to her knees, her head in her hands.  She felt so weak.  All of her strength had been drained from her in the fight.  A sense of tranquility filled up inside her, and lying on the deck of the large ship, she fell into a deep, peaceful slumber for the first time in days.

A/N:  Holy crap.  That chapter was a whirlwind, and it took me over an hour to write, but the funny thing is that it just came, flowing from my mind to my fingertips.  I hope you guys liked it though.  I think it turned out well, and I'm quite proud of it.  The names I gave for Jack's parent's are completely false, so please don't start badgering me about it.  Anyway, please leave a review, if you would be so kind.  I want to get at LEAST 100 hundred reviews.  That's my goal, and to be able to say I wrote a story with that many would make me feel so wonderful.  Thanks, and I love you guys!  Cheers!


	13. Hidden In A Drawer

A/N: Thanks, everyone!  These reviews are definitely brightening my day since I am having major issues with my damn Internet service.  I would really rather much like to change it to some other service, but no.  My dad has to be Sir Butthead and say that there is nothing bloody wrong with our current Internet service.  But believe me, there is!  I keep getting a damn busy signal when I KNOW FOR A FACT that no one is on the phone and that every phone in the house is in its proper place.  He just doesn't want to spend the money on the Internet when our current one is free.  Well, let me tell you something: THERE IS NO POINT IN HAVING A FREE INTERNET SERVICE IF IT DOESN'T BLOODY WORK!  coughs and looks around at the startled faces of her readers Sorry, had to get that off my chest.  sweet smile

Secrets of the Caribbean 

Written By: Riley Barton

[Chapter Twelve]

The following night after her fever broke, Scarlett awoke to find herself alone in her small cabin.  Soft golden beams of moonlight fell onto her face from the porthole above her berth, and she sat there basking in its presence.  She reached up to her forehead and massaged it gently.  She had a vague headache, but she knew it was nothing a simple walk on the main deck with the smell of the salty sea couldn't fix.  She pushed aside the blankets that had been laid over her, numbering three in total, and set her bare feet on the wooden planking.  Her head swam for a short while, but soon disappeared, much to her relief, and she changed out of the simple nightgown she wore into a pair of beige-coloured pants and a long-sleeved black top.  She ran a brush through her tangled blonde hair, knowing it would only grow worse in the harsh ocean breeze, and laced up her boots. 

Scarlet quietly made her way above deck, smiling as the scent of the ocean came to greet her and the wind caressed her cheeks.  She sighed, glad to be her old self again.  Lying in bed for days was not something she would have chosen, as was being so helpless to where other's had to care for you.  She had been too dependent on others during her childhood, but she wasn't any longer.  She was her own person and she relied on no one.

Seeming to be in her own thoughts, Scarlett walked to the railing and leaned out over it.  She instantly regretted it and jerked back, swinging sharply around to scan the deck behind her.  Her heart raced as she recalled the dream she had had during her feverish sleep, and the thought that her father could be anywhere close frightened her.  After a few quiet moments of only the sound of the ship's creaking and the wind blowing, she grew irritated with herself.  Cursing her own stupidity and fright, she turned back to the ship's railing and stared out across the ocean. 

The dream was still present in her mind, and she made a vain effort to make it disappear.  Stubbornly it refused, forcing her to recall what had happened.  The words she had shouted at Jack formed on her tongue.  She could hear her own voice reverberating on the air as if she were saying them aloud.  The harsh and desperateness in her voice surprised her, and she could only hope she hadn't said any of those words aloud.  What if someone had heard her?

She looked up, over her shoulder to the helm of the ship.  The helm had been tied with a rope to keep it on course, but from where she was standing it seemed that the rope was about to come untied. 

Scarlett climbed the ladder and stood before the helm, securing the poorly done knot.  Whoever had tied it had not done a good job.  It must have been Will; Jack never would have been hardly so careless.  _Once again I save your bloody ship, Jack_, she thought.  _How did you ever do without me for all those eleven long years?_

She clambered back down the ladder and headed to the galley.  Her stomach was rumbling and she felt as if she had not eaten in days, which she was quite sure she hadn't.  Passing through the mess, she continued into the galley.  Taking all the time in the world, she began routing through the galley's contents in hope of finding a midnight snack.  She came to realize there wasn't much left in the larder and that the water was running out. They would need to stop somewhere soon to gather supplies.  She satisfied herself with an apple, a small chuck of bread, and a quarter-filled glass of water.  Though the bread and apple didn't wholly satisfy her, it was enough until the next day.

Back outside again, she looked about at the ocean in the distance and up at the mast, the large canvas sails billowing in the harsh wind. The rocking of the _Black Pearl_ beneath her, the smell of salt water, and the sound of the ocean waves lapping up against the _Pearl_'s sides: all these were familiar things that she had missed during the eleven years she had spent on land.  Of course, she had still been busy and had (or still did, she should say) lived by the ocean, but nothing compared to being surrounded by the ocean on all sides of you.

Scarlett stifled a yawn and turned to go below to her cabin, but paused when she saw the faint glow of a lantern shining from underneath the closed double doors that led into Jack's cabin.  Hesitating, she furiously fought over the urge to go in and see what he was doing.  She eventually gave in, convincing herself that the only reason was because she wanted to know what had happened during the past few days she had been unconscious.  She had a lot to be filled in on, after all.

Not bothering to knock, she turned the knob of one of the doors and pushed it open.  She stepped inside and looked around, her brow furrowing.  There was no one in the cabin.  She gently closed the door, sill searching for any sign of Jack.  Where else could he be if he wasn't in here?  She walked further inside.  Two lanterns, one by the bed and the other resting on the desk, were lit.  One of Jack's many maps had been spread across the desk, and a chipped cup and a half eaten apple sat near the lantern. 

Curious, Scarlett walked around the desk and looked down at the map.  It was of Jamaica with all the seaports labeled; a red star had been drawn over Port Royal.  Pencil lines had been drawn all over the map going from one port to the other and back again.  Figures had been written at the bottom left hand corner in Jack's familiar, scrawled handwriting, and then to the far right were more figures, only this time they were not written in Jack's handwriting -it was hers.

She let her eyes travel away from the map to the many desk drawers.  She lowered herself into the desk chair and pulled out the only drawer on the left.  Rolled up maps, scrolls, miscellaneous pieces of parchment, and a flagon of rum were all that was inside.  After having removed the rum from the drawer, she closed it and opened the bottom door on the right.  More maps and scrolls, along with a couple of log books.  Again, she closed the drawer.  Pausing to remove the stopper from the rum flagon, she took a small sip from it and set it on the desk atop the map.  She pulled open the remaining drawer.  The only thing she found in this drawer was blank pieces of parchment that had been stuffed inside in a haphazard manner.  She closed the door roughly, annoyed that she had found nothing interesting.

The sound of something sliding across a wooden surface and then bumping into a wall met her ears.  She froze, listening, but the sound didn't come again.  Swallowing another gulp of rum from the flagon, she looked across the desk top and the floor, searching for what could have made the noise.  She found nothing and looked to the drawer she had recently closed.  Could the noise have come from there?  But the drawer's only contents had been the pieces of parchment.  Or were they?

Scarlett yanked the drawer open again, and again the sound echoed in the silent cabin.  A mischievous smile crossed her lips.  She removed the parchment from the drawer and set them on the desk by the flagon.  Once the drawer was empty, she ran her hand along the bottom and sides of the drawer, searching for a hidden button or an indent that would remove the false bottom.  She found one on the right side.  The bottom came out with ease, clear evidence that the bottom was removed often.  What could Jack have hidden in there that he would take out so many times?

She saw nothing at first, but when she reached into the back of the drawer her hands grasped something, and she pulled it out.  It was a large wooden box, simple in design; something any commoner could purchase in the market. She flipped up the small golden-coloured clasp, the colour fading from so much use, and lifted the top.  Her eyes widened in shock at the object nestled inside the box's velvet interior.  "Oh my God," she whispered.  "It can't be."  Her finger gently brushed the gem's surface before jerking her hand away and snapping the box shut.  Without thinking she tucked the box into the waistband of her pants, choosing to ignore how the box dug into her body.  She replaced the false drawer bottom, added the black pieces of parchment to the drawer, and closed it. 

Without looking back or even once wondering where Jack could have been, she returned to her berth, hid the box in a jumble of clothing stashed in a chest at the foot of her bed, and slid into bed.  She didn't fall asleep until an hour later.

A/N:  I'm so sorry this chapter is so damn short, but it's been forever since I last updated, and with Hurricane Isabel about to erupt on the little tiny city I live in, I doubt it would be up by the end of this weekend, what with the weather and my busy, hectic weekend.  So I figured I would post what I have and keep you guys wondering what it was Scarlett found.  Of course, some of you smart readers already know what it is, but that's okay.  Lease don't kill me for the wait or the shortness of this chapter.  Please!!!!!!


	14. Anamaria

A/N: No matter how exciting Hurricane Isabel might be, it is thoroughly annoying me at the moment.  Let me tell you, if there is one way to bore my family to death, it is to cut off our electricity.  We had to go out to eat at Burger King because we had no electricity.  That's a good thing, really, but you get my point.  Anyway, thank you to PineAppleLint and Seom; I have already received your reviews.  I thank you guys!!  ****Gives both of them 200 dollars Spend money and be merry!  As for everyone, pray that I have school off tomorrow!!!  If I'm gonna have to survive with no electricity the most this hurricane could do is make certain I don't have to go to school Friday.

Secrets of the Caribbean 

Written By: Riley Barton

[Chapter Thirteen]

"She's what!?"

The sound of a door slamming open sounded in the cool morning air, startling two members of the _Black Pearl_'s crew sitting on the deck.  Both of them, Gibbs and a small, short man with a bald head looked up in time to see Scarlett stalk out of the main cabin and to the ladder that led below deck.  Both of them looked at each other quizzically, wondering what ever could have gotten her in such a state.  A few moments after Scarlett's appearance, Jack walked out with a frown, striding purposefully to the helm of his ship.  His typical staggering walk was gone, and the normal goofy glint in his dark eyes was as well.  He was muttering angrily to himself about 'incompetent women' and 'no appreciation'.  Obviously the crew had missed out on something important.

Below deck in the brig, Anamaria jerked awake with a jolt, slamming her head into one of the metal bars that kept her locked in the small jail cell that had been her home for some time now.  She looked above her with a frown, glaring.  "Bloody gits," she grumbled in annoyance, letting her head fall weakly back against the cell bars.  She closed her eyes and sighed deeply.  A bead of sweat rolled down the side of her neck, but she didn't have the strength to wipe it away.  She hadn't had water in three days, and the small loaf of bread that had been given to her was long gone.  Jack had obviously forgotten she was even alive.  "That bastard," she said in anger, and almost jumped out of her skin when she heard someone else say the exact same thing in unison with her.  She looked over her shoulder and was startled, not to mention annoyed, to find that the person standing a foot away from her cell was Scarlett Bane.  "What d' ye want?" she growled.

Scarlett, who looked as angry as a raging bull, removed a ring of keys from the waistband of her pants and stuck a key into the lock of Anamaria's prison cell.  "I'm getting you out," she replied, her eyes looking into the dark skinned girl's own brown ones.  "What does it look like?"

Anamaria couldn't help feeling suspicious.  Why was Scarlett, the woman she had tried to kill, helping her?  Shouldn't she want her to be dead, slowly rotting in this damn brig?  "Why are ye helpin' me?  I tried t' kill you."

Scarlett tried another key, twisted it, and removed the lock.  "You were only defending your honour, your captain, and your ship."  Scarlett swung the door open and stepped inside.  "No one should be punished for that.  Besides," Scarlett paused to smile at the hesitant woman before her, "you weren't completely wrong about me to begin with."  Scarlett bent down so she was eye level with Anamaria and removed a canteen of fresh water from somewhere behind her back. 

Anamaria eyed the canteen anxiously.  _Where is she keeping these things?_ She wondered, but only just before grabbing it from the older woman's hands and guzzling the cold, delicious water all in one drink.  It had been so long since she had tasted something so good and refreshing, and after having drank all the water she felt some of her strength returning to her weak limbs.  She passed the canteen back to Scarlett and swiped the back of her hand across her mouth.  "Did Jack say ye could let me out?"

Scarlett shrugged and stepped out of the cell.  "No, but since when have I followed orders?"

Anamaria hesitated, completely caught off-guard by this sudden change in personality.  To her Scarlett had always been sarcastic, argumentative, and an overall bitch, to be completely frank.  She always seemed to be hiding a deep secret underneath it all, but now, Scarlett was showing a different side of her, a side that forgave others.

"This isn't a trick," Scarlett said, noticing the young woman's uncertainty.  "I know you tried to kill me, but if I had been in your shoes I know I would have done the same thing.  Not even I would trust me."  She shook her head.  "So then, how can I hate you and not hate myself?"

Somehow that made sense to Anamaria, and she shakily stood to her feet.  Her muscles were so unused to standing and moving that she stumbled forward, grabbing a hold of the cell bars to keep her upright.  Scarlett came forward and draped one of Anamaria's arms around her shoulders.  Together, the two women walked from the brig and to what had once been Anamaria's cabin. 

Anamaria sank onto her bed, sighing at the feeling of soft blankets underneath her sore body.  In reality the blankets and mattress were rather uncomfortable, but to Anamaria it felt like Heaven in the middle of the ocean.

Scarlett left the younger woman for a moment as she went to the kitchen to gather what little supply of food they had.  All she could manage to steal without the cook finding out (which she was certain he would anyway) was half of a crusty loaf of bread, a small glass of water, and a banana.  She brought these three things back to Anamaria's cabin on a dusty tray and set them on the bedside table.  Anamaria eyed the food hungrily and launched herself at the bread.  Scarlett whisked the tray away, setting it further away from the food-deprived woman.  "Slowly, Anamaria," Scarlett warned.  "If you scarf it all down it will only make you sick.  Eat the food one small bite at a time, and even then only a little."  She passed a small chunk of the bread to Anamaria, waited for the woman to eat it in painfully slow bites, and then handed her two small bites worth of the banana.  "Now drink some of this and try to get some sleep.  You look like you need it."

Anamaria finished the bites of the banana and drank from the water glass.  She swallowed and lay back on the pillows, casting a quick glare in Scarlett's direction.  "Look, I don't need yer help no more, so ye can stop worryin' 'bout me."

"All right, but I'll still stop by once more to make certain you're doing okay."  Scarlett headed for the door, saying over her shoulder, "I'll see you around, Anamaria."

The bright, fiery red ruby glittered in the sunlight as it was held tightly in Scarlett's hand.  She stared down at it inquiringly, as if the gem would answer her many questions.  Why hadn't Jack sold it?  Why did he look at it so often?  Why did he hide it in a drawer?

She sighed, knowing the only way she would get the answers to these questions would be to ask Captain Jack Sparrow himself, and that was something she did not plan on doing in the near future.

"What's that ye've got thar, lassie?"

Scarlett spun around, nimbly hiding the ruby in a sack tied around her waist.  "What's that, Mr. Gibbs?" she asked with an innocent look in her eyes.  She purposefully folded her arms across her chest, showing him that she held nothing.

Gibbs hesitated, his brow furrowing as he noticed this.  He slowly shook his head.  "Er, nothing.  I just thought that…"  He shrugged.  "Well, don't bother about me, lass.  Me mind's goin' tis all."

Scarlett managed to hide a grin.  This really was a nice, caring man, though she knew he could be a true pirate when the time came.  He looked to be one of those men you would find sitting in a chair by the fire with three small children on his knee.  The only thing that shattered that mental image was the many scars he bore and his roguish speech.  "You aren't that old, Mr. Gibbs," Scarlett replied, smiling reassuringly.  "You're still just as active as any younger man."

Gibbs laughed aloud, his guffaw ringing out across the deck of the _Black Pearl_.  "Ye sure are good for me ego, Miss Scarlett," he said through his merry laughter.  "Ye just may be th' one to change me mind 'bout havin' women aboard a ship."

"That would be a mighty act, indeed," said Captain Jack Sparrow, swaggering over to his first mate and childhood friend.  "Gibbs don't like th' idea of women aboard any ship.  Brings bad luck, or so he says."

Scarlett raised an eyebrow at Gibbs.  "Is that so?  Got another superstitious crew member, eh?"  Her smiled broadened when the man shrugged his shoulders haphazardly.  She laughed.  "Then let me tell you, mate," she said, "and, I don't mean to brag, but I was the one to bring in the most and the best loot.  No one could charm the socks off a man like I could."

Another loud guffaw erupted from Gibbs.  "I can see that happenin', lass.  That I can."

Jack rolled his eyes, waving a hand in the air as if brushing away a fly.  "So vain, aren't ye, love?"

"Not half as much as you are, Captain," she retorted with a mischievous sparkle in her eyes.

"Can't let people ferget me many accomplishes, now can I?"

Scarlett shook her head.  "You've never changed.  Even as a six year-old kid you bragged about everything.  'Scarlett, look at the toy boat father bought me'," she said, mimicking a young boy's childish voice.  "'Hey Scarlett, check out my new whistle'." 

Jack glared at her coldly.  "Keep in mind, lass, that I'm yer Captain, and I can have ye tossed overboard within minutes."

Scarlett's laugher continued to ring out like a chime.  "Oh please," she said through her laughter.  "You and I both know that if you even tried to do such a thing I would survive, find you, and wreak havoc on the remainder of your pathetic life."  Her laughter abruptly stopped and the smile disappeared.  Wasn't what she just said what she was supposed to be doing?  Jack _had_ left her behind and now this was supposed to be when she made the rest of his life Hell.  But now everything had been turned around.  She seemed to have forgotten that fact and had fallen into the old routine of living on the _Black Pearl_.  What had happened?

_You realized just how much you missed living on a ship,_ a voice piped up from the back of her mind. 

Scarlett shook her head.  _No._  "I'll see the two of you later.  I need to check on Anamaria and see how she's faring," she said abruptly.  She walked briskly across the deck and then below, but instead of going to Anamaria's cabin like she had said, she went to her own, closing the door with a firm shove.  Seeing no lock on the door, she grabbed a wooden chair and stuck it up underneath the doorknob, preventing anyone of pushing the door open from the other side.

Scarlett flopped onto the rickety wooden bed and stared straight ahead blankly, her mind racing.  What was she doing?  She was supposed to be screwing things up, turning Jack's crew against him, purposefully destroying needed supplies… anything that would ruin Jack's life.  And yet, here she was actually enjoying herself!  She had grown rather fond of the _Pearl_'s new crew, and she somewhat liked being around Will and Elizabeth.  She knew that if she stuck around long enough the three could become good friends. 

Then there was Jack.  He was still almost the same as when she had left him: a treasure-hogging, boasting womanizer that thought he could get his way about anything, and most of the time he did!  The only person he hadn't been able to get was Scarlett herself, but even she had tripped and fallen after holding out for a quite a few years. 

She sighed and massaged her forehead, gently kneading it as a headache began to form.  She didn't know what she was going to do.  She liked the _Pearl_'s crew too much to tear their lives apart, and from what she could see there was no force on Earth that could break the loyalty bond Jack had somehow managed to create within his crew.  It was a feat not many pirates, if any, could boast about.  Taking the _Black Pearl_ away from Jack Sparrow was out of the question.

She absently removed the gem from her pouch and began twisting it around in her hand, examining it from each angle.  It was a beautiful stone and was worth millions if sold to the right buyer.  That one reason alone, the money, was why they had stolen it in the first place.  _And now_, Scarlett thought grumpily, _the man who stole it from is after us.  Again!_

Scarlett set the gem beside her on the mattress and curled up on her side like she had done when she was a young child trying to sleep despite the loud shouts and curses coming from the living room.  She closed her eyes, one last thought flickering through her mind before falling asleep: This would be her last voyage, and at the very next port they came to she would leave the lives of these good people.  Forever.

Author's Note:  Yay, another chapter!  I know there's no action and it's getting dull, but I swear there will be in the next chapter.. maybe a surprise visit by a certain pirate perhaps.. hm.. That sentence could be taken two different ways.  Well, do what you guys love to do and leave a review for me!  I love getting them and the rate at which they come in has grown slower…  sigh  But that's okay.  I know you guys are reading it, so that's what matters!!!  smiles 


	15. Battered and Beaten

I'm really getting into this.  Rubs hands together enthusiastically "I just get more hooked on this story more and more, and my poor original story has been put upon a shelf for the time being.  I just can't seem to get into that one anymore, but I dunno.   Anyway, I'm glad all of you guys are still staying tuned in on my story and the life of Scarlett.  I honestly didn't think I would get this big of a response.  I've never gotten more than thirty reviews on anything before, so this is wild for me.  Now to have over 700 reviews like PineAppleLint… that's another story entirely.

I have big plans for the next few chapters, and I'm gonna warn you: there's a big surprise coming up (if you haven't already figured it out!) and some major… um, angst I guess you could call it… Yes, angst, the perfect word actually.  I'm not saying anymore though, so I hereby close this author's note before I give everything away.  So onward with the chapter then!

Secrets of the Caribbean 

Written By: Riley Barton

[Chapter Fourteen]

The banging of a fist on her cabin door jolted Scarlett awake with a bump as her head made contact with the rough wooden headboard of her bed.  Grunting at the throbbing pain, she slowly turned onto her left side and rolled off the bed.

"I'm coming, I'm coming," she grumbled groggily, lazily removing the chair from its position underneath the doorknob.  Sighing and running a hand through her limp blonde hair (which hadn't been washed in days), she opened the door and glared at the man standing in the corridor.  "What do you want, Will?  I was sleeping, if you even care.  Why is it Elizabeth can sleep for longer than four hours but I can't?"

"Jack needs you on deck," Will said in a rush.  "Immediately!"

Scarlet stared at him blankly for a moment.  "Why would Jack want to see me?"

Suddenly Will and Scarlett were thrown from their feet. Whereas Will was thrown halfway down the corridor, Scarlett slammed into the cabin door and then bounced off again only to collide with the bed frame.  "What the bloody Hell!" she exclaimed, rubbing her shoulder and then reaching down to massage her bruised hip.  "What in the blazes does Jack think he's doing?"  The ship rumbled underfoot as if something had gone off nearby.  Scarlett frowned, recognizing the loud sounds she had been too grumpy to notice before: cannons.

Her eyes widened and she ran from the cabin, colliding with Will.  "Who's firing at us?" Scarlett demanded, glaring at him. 

"Not certain, but I think it's safe to assume that it's the man who was chasing you back at Tortuga," he replied.

The ruby!  Scarlett jerked, abruptly turning and going back into her cabin.  She launched herself across the bed and grabbed the large ruby from off the grungy floor under the bed; the ruby had fallen off sometime recently.  She tucked it into her pouch again and tied it more securely around her thin waist. 

"Scarlett, you don't have time to sleep!" Will exclaimed in exasperation, coming into the cabin.  He stared at her incredulously.  "We're under attack and Jack needs you _now_!"

"I know lad, so just shut up, would ya?" Scarlett shoved past Will and ran for the stairs.  She clambered up the many steps to the main deck and sprinted for the stairs across the ship that would take her to the helm.  She knew that was where Jack would be.

"About bloody time!" Jack shouted at her as she came into view. 

Scarlett staggered into the bulwark as Jack sent the _Black Pearl_ into a turn.  "Pardon me!" she shouted back, tucking a strand of water drenched hair behind her ear.  Sprays of water and foam were coming up over the sides of the ship and drenching everyone, and Scarlett had been no exception.  She was drenched from head to toe and water drops were rolling down her cheeks.  "With all this tossing and turning it's kinda hard to get here within a matter of seconds unless you want to be tossed into the ocean!"

The loud bang of a cannon going off sounded followed shortly after by a rough jerk –the attacking ship had struck the _Pearl_.  Scarlett stumbled forward. Instinctively Jack let go of the helm to catch her, and she fall in a very unladylike manner into his waiting arms.  He grunted as she ran into him, grinning crazily down at her.  "This isn't exactly the time, lass," he said.

Scarlett moved away from him, glaring daggers in his direction.  "Piss off!" she exclaimed.  Her eyes went to the helm and she lunged for it.  It stopped spinning wildly as her hands grasped it.  Jack placed his hands over hers, and she quickly backed off.  She looked over her shoulder to the attacking ship and studied it.  The other ship's structure was almost identical to that of the P_earl_, and written on its side was the_ Cobra_.  She frowned.  That was definitely the ship of Garrett Ansgar.  "What is it you need me to do?" she shouted to Jack over the loud barks of various cannons. 

"Help Gibbs!" Jack called back.  "He could use more help!"

Scarlett turned without another word and fled below deck.  "Gibbs, give me something to do," Scarlett said as she came up behind the older man. 

The many cannons below deck in the _Black Pearl_ went off, and Gibbs turned to her.  "You could help load up the cannons," he said.  "The more help we have the better chance we got."

Scarlett hurried forward to help in any possible way she could, loading the cannons, retrieving matches, and any other small thing that could be of help.  The fight went on for what seemed like ages until finally, as if by a miracle, a storm rose up from nowhere and lashed at the two warring ships bobbing in the ocean.  The storm grew to such a strong velocity that a person walking on deck was walking in what looked like slow motion, pushing against the fierce wind.  The rain came down in thick torrents, drenching every person above and below.  The crew's of both ships had to squint to see; not even telescopes did any help.  The bursting of cannons stopped when neither ship could see the other, and all the weary crewmembers let out sighs of relief.  But the worst wasn't over.

The _Black Pearl_, after having been beaten pretty hard by the _Cobra_, wasn't faring too well against the raging storm.  The canvas sails lashed out savagely in the wind and rain, tearing and shredding at the ends.  Rigging came loose and all members of the crew had to gather together as one just to tie them back into place.  For six hours the storm raged, slowing for short time intervals, only to grow worse during the next bout. 

The _Pearl_'s crew worked their muscles sore from the long, heavy hours of working the rigging and running about the ship.  Even Jack standing at the helm was forced to work himself raw just by trying to keep his ship on course.  Scarlett came to help him every once and a while, but she would always leave before long to go help someone else.  Elizabeth, who had been forced to stay below deck upon Will's insistence, did as much as she could without being in the core of the action. 

Just after sunrise the storm abated, growing further away into the distance, and the sun began to shine.  The light, though welcomed, was also disgruntled at all the same.  The light revealed the very poor appearance and state of the _Black Pearl_: shredded and torn sails, lost rigging, breaking deck boards, parts of the bulwark missing which left gaping holes in the railing, and seaweed, barnacles, as well as any other form of sea life had been thrown aboard ship leaving it in a bad state of neglect. 

Jack looked at his beaten ship in apparent annoyance and dismay.  This ship was his life, his love, and it had been beaten to near death.  There was no way it would last on the sea for more than a few days.  They would have to pull up to the very first port they came upon and mend her and stock up on supplies.  The only good thing, it seemed, was that the _Cobra_ and her crew were nowhere in sight.

Scarlett lazily picked up a piece of seaweed and tossed it into the ocean, watching it bob on the small waves before sinking.  She sighed and ran a hand across her forehead.  Her eyes looked weary and she was leaning against the bulwark, obviously tired from the strenuous work she had done throughout the past hours.  She looked up to where Jack stood at the helm and was surprised to find that he was watching her.  She let her gaze linger on him for a minute before she turned and walked away.

"We've no choice, Jack!"

Scarlett's angry voice echoed in the unkempt cabin as she faced Jack from across his desk.  A map they had somehow found among the mess had been spread out across the desktop and chipped and broken paperweights kept the corners down. 

"We can hold out until the next port," Jack replied stubbornly, jabbing his finger at a port a good many leagues from their current location.  "The _Pearl_ can handle it."

"That's just it, Jack!"  Scarlett threw her hands into the air, shaking her head in disbelief.  "The _Black Pearl_ cannot handle it.  I know just as well as you do that she can handle most anything, but that storm and Ansgar has almost shredded her down to the very frames.  I know we can make it to Port Marcail, but there is no way possible we would be able to make it even halfway to the next port.  Jack, you have got to be reasonable here.  Look at your ship; look at this cabin, for Pete's sake!  Face the facts.  If you want to risk the lives of your crew and the _Pearl_ because of the past, then by all means go ahead and sail for Port Muire, but I will not be going with you.  If you want to go further, then at least drop me of at Marcail."

Jack looked up at her with raised eyebrows.  "I'm not the only one with a past history there, Scarlett," he said, "so why are ye so ready to face it again?"

Scarlett didn't say anything for a moment.  "Because I'm not afraid of it anymore," she replied in a voice just above a whisper.  "The man I feared is either dead or locked away in a prison cell.  I don't have any reason to fear him any longer."  _But you do, Scarlett, _her conscious reminded her._  You do still fear him._

Jack shook his head stubbornly.  "Either way, the _Pearl_ can make it to Muire."

"She will not!"  Scarlett placed her palms flat on the map and stared Jack in the eye.  "Muire is too far.  Marcail is much closer and the authorities there will not be as quick to contain you.  You're well known in Muire and the governor there will jump at the chance to capture you.  In Marcail we have connections.  Your mother could-"

"I don't care about my mother!" Jack interrupted, jumping to his feet.  "She can rot in Hell for all I care!"

"Your mother was a good woman!" Scarlett shouted, her eyes burning with a fierce intensity.  "It's amazing that the two of you can be related, and yet be as different as black is to white."  She took a deep breath.  "Your mother cared about me.  She loved me like a daughter, like I was her own.  I owe a lot to her, and I will not let you insult her like this.  You're her son, Jack.  Her son!"  She shook her head and laughed in disbelief.  "You were born with the world at your fingertips and yet you threw it all away!  And for what?"  She slowly started backing away to the door.  "Think on it.  Think about the facts and then decide.  Keep in mind about what's at stake here.  I seriously doubt you want to be held responsible for the death of Elizabeth Swann and William Turner."  And with that said, she turned and walked from the cabin.

Later than morning, when all the crew was on deck going about their duties, Captain Jack Sparrow strode out of his cabin and to the helm of the _Black Pearl_; all eyes were on him.  Scarlett and Anamaria, who stood on the main deck just below where the helm was, watched as he motioned for Will to let him take over the helm.  Will stepped aside obligingly, smiling cheerily.

"So where're we going, Jack?" Will asked conversationally. 

Jack's eyes went to Scarlett, who stared back at him with a daring look in her eyes.  "Port Marcail."

Author's Note:  I had nothing better to do tonight and my mind was on the move and so, everyone applaud me because I have made a record of posting two chapters within two days during a school week.    Everyone bow.   Haha, I'm just kidding.

Thank you to my latest reviewers, AbbieNormal182 and that's-niki-to-you.  I got your reviews just over ten minutes ago. 

Abbie, I love long reviews so don't even start to think that they bore me.  The longer the review the merrier I am!  As for what you said about Scarlett getting sick, that wasn't a flame.  That was what I like to call constructive criticism.  It didn't offend me whatsoever.  Quite the opposite, really.  I guess I didn't make it clear that it was an infection that made Scarlett sick.  The infection/virus entered through the wound and that was what made her sick.  Sorry 'bout that.  I'll have to go back and made that clearer. 

That's-niki-to-you, I would never forget this story!  If I do, I promise that all of you could come to my house and hold me hostage until I write another chapter. 

Now all of you remember to review because you know how much they make me happy!!!!!!  Cheers!

((9-26-03)) Thanks to AbbieNormal182 for pointing out my grammatical errors!  I've had them fixed!!!


	16. Returning Home

On with the next chapter, mates!  I'm on a roll this week!!!

((AbbieNormal182: thank you for the grammar tips and such.  I've already gone back and fixed the mistakes you pointed out in the last chapter.  And, just so you know, I haven't forgotten about the 'reason she was so slow that night'.  Wink Don't worry; I've still got that in mind.  That one secret is my entire plot.  And it's coming up, so keep your eyes open.  grin))

Secrets of the Caribbean 

Written By: Riley Barton

[Chapter Fifteen]

The moon was glowing brightly in the night sky as a large black shadow made its way into the dock.  Dark shapes and figures ran about the deck, pulling in sails and dealing with the rigging.  Standing behind the helm of this ship stood a tall man with a broad black tricorn hat perched on his head and with his chin tilted cockily to the side as he steered the ship into position.  Aloft in the crow's nest another figure stood, a woman with flowing hair.  She stood staring at Port Marcail with a variety of emotions in her eyes, each emotion flickering across the bright green orbs before quickly disappearing and being replaced with another. 

The woman took a deep breath and closed her eyes, willing her rioting emotions to drain away.  She would not return to the main deck until she had sorted everything out.  Besides, this may be the last time she would ever stand in this very crow's nest, or even on the deck of the _Black Pearl_ for that matter.  Her life on this ship had come to an end, and it was time she left.  Grabbing a piece of rope she gripped it tightly and jumped over the side of the 'nest', swinging down to the wooden deck below.

Jack looked up as Scarlett swung down and landed gracefully onto the main deck.  He watched for a moment longer as Anamaria came up to the older woman, said something, and then motioned for Scarlett to follow her.  Jack, however, didn't get to see where Anamaria took Scarlett because of his current task at hand: steering the_ Pearl_ into an open docking area.  He maneuvered his ship like a natural, not even gently scraping the side of the wooden docks on both port and starboard side of the _Black Pearl_.

Long after the _Pearl_ had been tied to the dock Jack could still be found standing at the helm of his ship, staring at Port Marcail.  His black hat was pulled low over his dark brown eyes, casting a dark shadow over his entire face –he wanted it that way.  He ambled away from the helm to the wooden railing and leaned against it, watching Anamaria from the corner of his eye as she went off in search of a decent place to have a drink.  Normally he would be doing that too, and he knew the perfect place.  He knew every damn good place available in Marcail.  He knew every nook and cranny of that port, and he had far too many memories placed into a pile here.  He wasn't about to pick them up and carry those burdens again.

"I thought you would be long gone by now," a voice said from behind him.  Jack didn't even turn around to see who it was; he already knew.  William Turner stepped up to the railing and matched Jack's stance.  He looked at the pirate captain questioningly.  "Why're you still here?"

"Someone's got to watch over me ship, lad," Jack replied smoothly.  "May as well be the captain, aye?"

Will shrugged.  "Not entirely.  I believe Mr. Cotton is planning on staying aboard, so come on.  Elizabeth and I are going to find a place to board and then grab a late meal.  Care to join us?"

Jack shook his head.  "You and the lass go on, boy. I'm going to stick around here for awhile."

"Suit yourself.  We'll return in the morning."

Jack didn't respond, and Will didn't press.  He could tell there was something troubling his friend, but he also knew that Jack didn't like people asking too many questions.  He found Elizabeth waiting for him at the gangway and she smiled sadly when she noticed he was alone.

"Did he not want to come?" she asked.

Will shook his head, looking over his shoulder to the lone figure standing above him.  "No, but I didn't really think he would in the first place."

Elizabeth sighed.  "I worry about him, and I know I shouldn't.  Father would call me silly for worrying about a pirate such as Jack, but I can't help it."

Will took Elizabeth's hand, kissed, and gave it a brief squeeze.  "I know.  I feel the same." 

Scarlett stared down at the piece of parchment she held in her hand, a sense of longing and heartache washing over her.  The drawing was simple: just an ordinary picture of the sky, a grassy lawn, and two people walking hand-in-hand.  The lines were uneven, showing that the hand of a child had drawn them, but she knew that a ton of love had gone into that simple drawing.  It was creased in various places from years of folding and unfolding, and once more she folded it into a small square and slipped it into her bag.  Sighing, she tied the strings and swung the bag over her shoulder.

She stepped out of her small cabin into the narrow corridor and walked up the staircase to the deck.  As she walked up each step she could feel the weight of the ruby in her small pouch bumping against her leg, and it reminded her of all the questions that still remained unanswered.  She would never know now.

Scarlett paused at the double doors leading into Jack's cabin and, after briefly hesitating, she untied the small pouch from her waist, tied the string together again, and looped it onto one of the doorknobs.  Jack would find it before long.  Hopefully long after she had gone.  She turned her back on the door and strode purposefully down the gangway, making an extra effort to silent her heavy footsteps on the creaking board. 

Her destination was not far from the dock.  It was on the western side of Port Marcail in the rundown area, surrounded by boarded up homes and knarled trees.  No love could be found in this part of the port.  It had been forsaken some time ago.

 Just seeing that one house brought back so many painful memories, but they were all familiar.  She felt them every time she returned here, and they didn't frighten her any longer.

Scarlett grasped the rusty doorknob and gently pushed on the door.  It swung open on creaky hinges and the smell of mothballs and mold sprang up into her nostrils.  The smell didn't affect her; it, too, was familiar.  She gently stepped inside, her footsteps causing dust to rise from the withering floor.  The room she had stepped into was dark and foreboding, the moonlight outside sending eerie shadows into the rotting living room.  Cobwebs hung from the ceiling, on the windows, and across small holes in the walls.  Mold grew along the bottom of the wall, and insects of various kinds scuttled across the floor.

Scarlett looked about sadly, closing the rotted door behind her.  Bathed in darkness with only the moonlight to guide her footsteps, she walked across the length of the small living room, past the tiny, adjacent kitchen that had once consisted of a rough sink and a wood-burning stove, and to a door at the back.  She paused before this door, staring at it as if whatever was behind it would either mean certain death or life.  Her eyes looked around at the doorframe, noticing the small indents and cuts, but more importantly the specks of blood and drops of alcohol.  The entire house was covered in these stains, she knew.  This house held more secrets than the old neighbours could have guessed. 

Her hand reached out and twisted the knob only to have it break away into her hand.  She let it drop to the floor and roll away, hitting the wall with a dull thud.  Her heart sped up its pace as the door was pushed open and she stepped inside.

The tiny room, no larger than the size of a closet, consisted only of a rickety cot, a rotted stool that was begging to crumble, and three roughly carved boxes that had once served as a chest of drawers.  Dusty and moldy clothes were stuffed into those boxes, along with old pieces of tiny writing paper and a single book.  On the stool rested a pencil and a dusty, brown glass of water.  On the cot was a thin blanket, no thicker than two pieces of parchment stuck together, a pillow with barely any stuffing, and a doll.

Scarlett reached down to pick the doll up, almost lovingly running her fingers across the dusty face.  Her fingertips passed over the glass eyes, cracked from years of neglect, and along the sewn-on mouth.  "Sara," Scarlett whispered to the empty room.  She lowered herself to the cot and sat there, gazing about the room. 

A tiny window above the bed let soft beams of moonlight softly lighten the room.  Unlike the other room, the moonlight did not give the tiny bedroom a ghostly appearance.  Instead, the room was bathed in an almost gentle, loving feel.

The doll was set aside as Scarlett drew her long legs up to her chest.  She rested her chin on her knees and closed her eyes.  This place held so many memories…

Author's Note: This chapter is too short, way too short, but I feel as if I should stop here anyway.  The next few chapters reveal a ton and need to be taken in stride, so connecting this chapter to the next one would be piling too much onto you guys.  You'll understand, I think, after the next few chapters are posted.  Don't forget to review, please!!


	17. Searching For the Unexpected

WARNING: PHYSICAL AND VERBAL ABUSE

Okay, I just thought I would warn you guys about that and, sorry 'bout this, but this will be another depressing chapter.  Sorry, it's just how it's turning out.  I just saw the movie _Identity_ a few minutes ago, so maybe that's the cause of my troubling mind, but I dunno.  Please bear with me and leave your comments at the end.  Thanks, guys!

Secrets of the Caribbean

Written By: Riley Barton

[Chapter Sixteen]

_"Shut your mouth, woman!  I didn' give ye permission t' talk back to me!"_

_Scarlett watched in fright as her drunken father smacked her mother across the cheek, sending the small woman reeling backwards.  Julia Bane stifled a pained whimper as she stared up at her leering husband from her crumpled position at the base of the couch.  "Marshall, please-"_

_"I said shut up!"  Marshall aimed a savage kick at his wife's leg and the sound of bone being broken in two echoed in the room.  The noise fell on deaf ears as the raving man spat savagely on her. "Get up, you ungrateful whore!  Get up!"_

_Julia staggered to her feet, using the couch as support.  She had only gotten halfway up when her broken leg gave out and she dropped to the germ-infested floorboards._

_"How dare you defy me!"_

_Scarlett jammed her eyes closed as her father let lose another bout of his fury on her poor, defenseless mother. Her mother's cries reverberated in her ears and she reached up to cover her ears with her small hands.  "No," she whispered, "no, please, Daddy, no."  Tears ran down her cheeks.  "No."_

---

_"Hey Scarlett, have you ever wanted to sail away from here?  You know, run away?"_

_The young girl lying on the sandy beach frowned and looked at her best friend sitting beside her.  His legs were drawn up to his chest and he was staring out to sea with a faraway look in his dark brown eyes.  She had seen that look before, but never had he voiced this question.  Using her elbows she pushed herself into a sitting position and brushed a strand of blonde hair behind her ear.  She shrugged her small shoulders and followed his gaze out to sea. "Yeah, but where would we go?  There is no other place."_

_The boy looked at her and smiled.  "The entire world is out there with so many different places to explore!  How can you say there is no where we can go?"_

_Scarlett looked at him with a serious expression on her face.  "Why would you want to leave, Jack?  You're mum and dad are great."  Her eyes became downcast and she looked at the sand, absently grabbing a handful in her hand and letting it run through her fingers.  "My mum's dead, and daddy just yells."_

_Jack rolled his eyes.  "Yeah, but they make me do things I don't wanna.  Who cares about dancing?" he said, his voice dripping with disgust.  "That ain't gonna help me.  Sailing, on the other hand…"_

_"At least your dad doesn't hit you."_

_The look in Jack's eyes faded to one of sympathy.  He swung an arm around Scarlett's shoulders and gave her a sideways hug.  "You know you can always come to my place if you need anything.  And if you need help, I'm only a shout away."_

_"Thanks, Jack." _

---

_"Get your ass back in this house, girl!"_

_Scarlett stopped and turned around, glaring at her father standing in the open doorway.  "No!" she yelled._

_Her father's body grew rigged and he took a staggering step forward.  He pointed a finger at her, shaking his head in fury.  "You listen to your elder's wench.  If I tell you to do something you do it.  Now get inside!"_

_"I'm not listening to you anymore!" She turned her back on him and strode down the street with her heart pounding in her throat.  Never had she defied him in such a manner before, and she had no idea how he would react. All she knew was that she couldn't stay there anymore.  She had lived under that roof for the past fifteen years, and she wasn't going to put up with it any longer.  "Jack."  Her best friend's name came from her lips, and she felt a sense of security.  He would help her; he always had.  The two of them could run away, stowaway on a ship like Jack had always talked about.  She had always found that wild plan of his absurd, but now it made logical sense._

_Her father's raving voice could be heard up and down the empty street, but no one was listening.  Every neighbor had locked their doors and closed their windows, choosing to forget about the drunken father of a neglected teenage girl.  They had ignored that family for years, so why would they start to listen now?_

---

"So many memories."

Those whispered words hung in the air, hovering over Scarlett's head as she sat on the cot that she had once slept in as a child.  The moonlight had faded into the early morning sunlight, casting a warm glow about the dismal room.  The cobwebs and grime were openly discovered now, but there was no repulsion in her body or mind at these sights.  She had seen them before less than a year ago.

---

"Jack, she's missing!"

Captain Jack Sparrow looked up from the ruby he held in his hand to the distraught expression on young Elizabeth Swann's face.  Her eyes were wide with anxiety and she was breathing heavily, as if she had been running for hours.  "I know she's gone," he replied evenly, his voice lacking any emotion. 

Elizabeth stared at him in mild surprise and annoyance.  "You know?  Then why haven't you sent out a search party for her?  She couldn't have gone very far."

"She's a grown woman, lass, not a child."  His eyes went back to the ruby and, turning it ever so slightly, the light from a nearby lantern caught on the gem.  "She doesn't need me to look out for her anymore."

"But you're her friend!  Friend's always look out for one another."  Elizabeth walked further into the room, stopped before Jack's desk, and placed her hands on her hips.  "If I had gone missing would you just leave me to my own devices?"

Jack restrained a sigh.  "You, Miss Swann, are a different case entirely.  If it were you that had gone missing then I can assure you that a search party would 'ave already been unleashed.  In Scarlett's case, no search party is needed."  He removed his feet from their propped up position on his cluttered desk and stood to his feet in an ungainly manner.  He tucked the gem into a coat pocket and walked around his desk so he was facing Elizabeth without a barrier between them.  "Trust me on this one, love.  She doesn't need me anymore."

"This ship is not leaving without Scarlett," Elizabeth said firmly, her lips drawn into a thin line. 

"I'm afraid it will be whether the stubborn lass is onboard or not."

"So you'll be sailing alone then?" Elizabeth asked.  Her eyebrows rose daringly.

"No," Jack replied slowly as if he were talking to a small child.  "Me and my crew will be sailing away, and if you so choose, Miss Swann, you may remain to search for your dear friend."

"Fine then," Elizabeth replied defiantly.  "If you're going to be such a stubborn jackass, Will and I can search for her on our own."

Jack eyebrows rose in amusement.  "Did I just hear lady Elizabeth Swann curse like a pirate or do my ears deceive me?"

"You heard correctly, Mr. Sparrow, and I do not believe there is anything wrong with your ears.  There is a problem, however, with your black heart.  Good day, sir."

Jack stood there with a quirky smile on his lips as Elizabeth strode across the cabin floor to the door.  He shook his head and held up a hand.  "Wait up a second there, lass," he called after her. 

Elizabeth paused and turned around, folding her arms across her chest.  "Well?"

Jack leisurely sauntered over to her with an air of dignity.  "There is absolutely no possible way you and the young Mr. Turner will be able to find Scarlett in this rather large port.  You would need someone who knows where to find her to do that."

"And does this mean you are offering your services, Captain?"

A wry look came into Jack's dark brown eyes and he sighed dramatically.  "I guess I am, milady, though don't think for a moment that it was your pathetic persuasion skills that convinced me to do so.  I am merely doing this out of the goodness of me black heart.  Got it?"

Elizabeth smiled.  "Whatever you say, Jack.  Just let me find Will and we can head out."

"I'll be somewhere about."  Jack waved a hand in the air dismissively, spinning around and walking back to his desk.  "Come find me when yer ready."  He slumped into his desk chair again and removed the ruby from his pocket once more.  He tossed it into the air, caught it, and tossed it again.  "Why do ye do this to yerself, love," he whispered to the empty cabin.  "All it does is bring back the heartache."  He caught the gem and placed it into its traditional hiding place underneath the false bottom of the top right drawer.

Will and Elizabeth found him ten minutes later waiting at the foot of the gangway with his hat perched on his head.  He stood with his legs evenly spread and his arms folded across his chest, his eyes gazing off into the distance.  He heard his two friends before he saw them, and he looked in their direction.  "Ready t' go?" he asked.

"Are you certain you know where to find her?" Elizabeth asked doubtfully, glancing around the wharf. The sun had risen in the distance and the many sailors and merchants were opening shop and setting their sails. 

"I've known Scarlett since she was seven," Jack replied in a matter-of-fact tone.  "Trust me.  I know where she'll be."  The last sentence came out sounding more sarcastic than he had planned, and Will caught it.  He looked at his friend with a questioning look, but he didn't question his friend's tone aloud.

While Jack led the way down various streets and narrow alleyways, Elizabeth couldn't help noticing that Jack was leading them further and further away from what could have been considered the 'nice' part of town.  Whereas the streets they had left behind were well kept and clear of any mud and slime, the streets they were passing now where filthy, all the way down to the drowned and lanky cats that crept out of alley's into the gutters.  Not accustomed to this kind of scenery, Elizabeth cringed at various points during their journey.  Will reached out to take her hand, giving her a reassuring squeeze.  The two of them seemed to be the only ones out of the trio disturbed by their surroundings.  Jack strode through the slick mud and germ-infested streets as if they were the sparkling streets of an important city.  The wild shouts of mud-caked children didn't affect him either.  Elizabeth and Will's reaction was quite different.

Jack slowed to a stop before a tiny, rundown house set in the midst of the slummiest street in the entire area.  The front door was cracked open, the paint was peeling off, and the wooden shudders had fallen from their hinges to the unkempt grass and bushes below. Elizabeth and Will came up alongside Jack and stared at the house in confusion.

"Scarlett is _here_?" Elizabeth asked, her eyebrows drawn into a thin line.

Jack nodded slowly, his eyes moving back and forth as he surveyed the decaying house in front of him.  "This is it."  He walked to the front door and nudged it open with the toe of his boot.  The door creaked open and Jack peered inside.  His eyes looked to the floor where he could see recent boot-prints in the layers of dust that covered the floorboards.  He had been right; Scarlett had come here, though whether she was still there remained uncertain.  He walked fully into the living area of the house, giving Elizabeth and Will room to enter.  Will came first, followed by Elizabeth who halted in the doorway.  Jack looked at the two of them with a grim smile.  "Welcome to Scarlett's old home," he said.

The two friends gaped at him.  "You can't be serious?" Will said, letting his eyes roam over the grungy walls and layers of grime.  "She lived here?"

"How could she have?" Elizabeth murmured, walking around the room in utter dismay.  "How could anyone have lived in this?"  She stopped short as she noticed the various bloodstains on the walls and on the torn couch cushions.  The beer stains and glass chips stuck in the walls were also noticed by the keen eyes of Elizabeth Swann.  "Oh my."

Jack walked past her, looking at her over his shoulder.  "Not everybody is as well-off as you are, Elizabeth."

Will placed a hand on her shoulders, his own eyes not wanting to believe what he was seeing.  How could anyone, Scarlett most of all, have been forced to live in such a dreadful place?

Jack pushed open a door at the back of the house and stepped inside.  He was following the footsteps Scarlett had left behind, and they had led him in here.  He wasn't surprised to find that the room was empty.  A cot was set against the back wall with a dusty doll resting on the thin blankets.  The dust lying on the blankets had been disturbed, and the smooth, clear lines that crossed the doll's face signified that Scarlett had, indeed, been in this room a short time ago.

"Was this Scarlett's room?" Elizabeth asked from the doorway.  Jack turned around in the small space and looked at the young woman with tears forming in her eyes.  The fiery spirit of Elizabeth seemed to have disappeared from her, and in its place was sympathy for the rotten childhood her friend had had. 

Jack nodded, glancing around.  "It was.  Her father's bedroom is behind the galley," he said, using the nautical term for kitchen. 

"What about her mother?" Elizabeth asked, not really wanting to know the answer.

"Her mother died when she was no more than eight."

Will raised an eyebrow.  "How do you mean by 'died'?"

The playful gleam that was normally present in Jack's eyes was gone.  "Murdered, if you want to be specific."  Elizabeth gasped, and Jack looked in her direction.  "Her father had a tendency to beat his wife and daughter.  He went too far one night and killed Scarlett's mother."

Elizabeth swayed where she stood and Will stepped forward to hold her.  "I think it's best we leave.  It's obvious Scarlett isn't here."

Jack nodded, and the three friends left the dilapidated house by means of the back door that had been blown off its hinges years ago.  They stepped cautiously over the broken wooden door lying on the ground into the dark alley at the house's back. 

"Where to now?" Will asked, glancing about.  "Do you know where else Scarlett could have gone?"

Jack didn't say anything for a few minutes.  He just stood there looking around.  His eyes searched the area in an almost frantic state.  _Come on, Scarlett,_ he thought, _where did you go?_

"Lookin' for a pretty lass wit' long blonde 'air?"

Elizabeth jumped at the throaty, old sounding voice coming from their right.  They all turned around to find a woman with gray hair and cold black eyes bent over her weak walking stick, staring at them; she looked to be of Spanish heritage.  The hand holding the walking stick shook and Will was afraid the woman would crumble then and there.

"Yes, did you happen to see where she went?" Will asked, well aware of Elizabeth's tight grip on his arm. 

The woman nodded slowly.  "Aye, I did.  Went over yonder t'ward the mansion on th' hill.  Friend o' yers, is she?"

"Mansion on the hill?" Will echoed.

Again, the woman nodded. "Aye, the mansion on th' hill.  Dun worry.  T'is easy t' find.  Just go up this street and take a left on an ol' road.  It'll take ye thar."

"Thank you," Will said.  He looked at Jack and stopped short; his friend's face had gone slightly pale.  "Jack, are you all right?"

Jack blinked, forcing a cocky smile.  "Sure, mate.  Why wouldn't I be?"  He turned around and walked up the street, leaving Will and Elizabeth in his wake. 

Just as the old lady had said, the 'mansion on the hill' was easy to find.  The three made their way up the winding road, the smell of the ocean growing stronger the longer they walked. Will and Elizabeth walked steadily behind Jack, who was walking with a purpose in his step.  He seemed to know his way up the road fairly well, and even led them on a small detour that got them to the house faster than it would have originally been had they used the road the entire time. 

The mansion was a beautiful sight and it was a definite competition for the Swann estate in Port Royal.  The mansion had three or four floors to it with vines winding up the front and sides of the house.  A circular driveway was at its front with a small garden in the driveways center.  Tall bush hedges wound around the sides and the back of the mansion.  The house was set on a grassy hillock that went out over the ocean, and a wooden staircase led down to a small dock set into the face of the cliff.

Jack stared at the mansion with no emotion on his face.  He took a deep breath and wound his way around the driveway to the front of the mansion.  He walked up the long marble steps and stopped before the large double doors. 

Elizabeth and Will stood behind him, looking at each other uncertainly.  They held their breaths as Jack knocked on the door by means of the brass knocker.  Elizabeth couldn't help thinking that the person who answered the door would just shut the door in their faces when they saw Jack.  He was definitely a fish out of water in this environment.  But Elizabeth was in for a shock.

One of the two doors swung open and a prim maid looked out.  Her eyes widened at the sight of Jack, but instead of screaming and slamming the door, she grinned and spun around calling into the interior of the mansion, "Marge, Heidi, look who's back!"

Jack groaned and reached up to rub the bridge of his nose.  He didn't dare look at Elizabeth and Will.  He knew that they're faces would be one of utter shock.

Two older women came running to the front door and nearly fainted in surprise at the sight of the pirate captain standing on their doorstep.  "Master Jack!" one of them exclaimed.  "Why, the missus wasn't expecting you!"

"Just tell me where my mother is," Jack said in a very disgruntled tone, evidently annoyed at the current circumstances. 

"Yes, of course," another said, pushing the other women aside to let the three friends enter.  "The missus and the others are in the back courtyard.  Should I show you the way?"

Jack brushed past the three bustling women and motioned for Will and Elizabeth to follow him.  "No need, Marge, I remember th' way."

Elizabeth couldn't believe this was happening.  Never in her wildest dreams would she have imagined that the infamous pirate Captain Jack Sparrow would have had such a rich upbringing.  "Jack-"

"You already know the answer to your question, Elizabeth," Jack said, pausing before a doorway that led into the back courtyard.  He looked at the two over his shoulder.  "So why waste your breath?"

"I was just going to ask how they remembered you," she replied slowly.  "I mean, you must have left this place many years ago, so how is it they recognize you?"

Jack hesitated, a look of uncertainty crossing his face.  "I really can't answer that, love, 'cause I really don't know."  He swung his head back around and pushed the door open.  They stepped back out into the sunlight, leaving the fancy tapestries and marble floors behind them.  They now stood on a wide veranda with the glistening ocean in the distance.  Five wide steps went down to the grass below, and further out sat a relaxing, plush recliner. 

An older woman with silvery white hair sat on the recliner with a joyous smile and a merry laughter ringing from her lips as she watched the antics of a young child running about the lawn before her.  Jack, Elizabeth, and Will stopped short as they watched the small boy jump and roll on the grass, his black locks bouncing about his shoulders.  The boy stopped, a wide grin on his face, and called out to a woman standing off to the side.  "Mama, watch this!"  The boy then proceeded to do a handstand for a brief few seconds before toppling to the grass.

The woman he had called to laughed with merriment and walked over to him.  She helped the small boy to his feet and ruffled his long hair.  "I'm impressed," she said.  "You certainly didn't learn that from Grandmother."

The older woman sitting on the recliner shook her head.  "Afraid not, Scarlett.  That rowdy son of yours is as wild and daring as his father."

Jack started, not daring to believe what he was seeing.  Elizabeth just shook her head and whispered, "Oh my God.  Jack, is that-?"

At that exact moment the young boy looked at them, giving them a clear view of the young boy's appearance.  He had curly black hair that rested upon his shoulders, a slim but sturdy build for a boy of around eleven, and piercing dark brown eyes that mirrored the eyes of Captain Jack Sparrow.

A/N: MWAHAHAHA!!!  I've done it!  I have been working on this chapter feverishly and now my head is going for a spin.  My biggest secret has been let loose!!  And you guys should be happy because this is a much longer chapter.  You guys have got to review on this.  If no one comments on this I will downright refuse to right another chapter until then.  I spent too much time writing this for only two reviews. ****grin**** So go on, leave a review for me, and I'll right another chapter in return.  wink


	18. Carver

Haha, keeping all of you guys in suspense is so thrilling to me… getting your responses to it is even better.  I congratulate those of you who figured out the secret before hand (though I quite agree that it was rather obvious, but that's okay).  My family thinks I'm absolutely insane because I start grinning like an idiot when I get a review.  But hey!  I love getting reviews and seeing what you guys think, even if some of them are threats and comments such as 'you're evil', but you know, I think those comments are compliments.  I know I'm weird.  Guess I should stop writing this author's note and get on with the chapter.  Oh well… I've kept you in suspense long enough…

Secrets of the Caribbean 

Written By: Riley Barton

[Chapter Seventeen]

Scarlett's heart stopped mid-beat as she stared across the sunny courtyard to the three people standing by the back of the house.  She didn't dare breath, holding onto the hope that she was standing in the midst of a nightmare –a _terrible_ nightmare.

"Mama, who're they?"

The young boy's curious voice brought her back to the present, and she knew it wasn't a nightmare.  This was really happening.  Why had they followed her?  How had they known _where_ to find her, for that matter? 

"Oh my."

Scarlett wrenched her eyes away from the stunned face of Jack Sparrow to the white-haired woman on the recliner.  Aubrianna Anderton's face had grown pale as she stared at her only son's face in shock. 

"Mum, Grandma, is he a real pirate?"

Scarlett could see the look of awe on her son's face as he stared at Jack.  His eyes were shining like jewels, much like the look Jack's eyes held whenever he landed upon a boatload of gold.  She gulped noticeably, the rapid beating of her heart pounding in her ears.  "Carver, come here," Scarlett said, and she cursed the nervousness in her voice. 

The boy looked at his mother over his shoulder and looked at her with a pouting face.  "But Mum, I want to see the pirate!" he complained, looking back to Jack. 

"Carver, do as your mother says," his grandmother said, slowly rising to her feet. 

Carver looked between his mother and his grandmother, thoughts and ideas running through his small mind.  He chewed his lower lip and looked back to the pirate.  He had heard many tales of pirates and he had thought the life they led was one of fun and adventure.  He had often told his mother and grandmother that he wanted to grow up to be one.  That response had been met with determined frowns and defiant 'no's. 

"Carver."  His mother sounded angry now.

With a determined frown and look in his dark brown eyes, he looked at his mother and said, "I'm just going to say hi and then I'll come right back." 

"Carver-!"

But the boy had taken off running across the yard.  Scarlett sprinted after him, her longer legs catching up to him in moments.  They were only three feet away from Jack, Elizabeth, and Will when she caught up to her son and grabbed him around the waist.  She yanked him back and held him tightly against her as she knelt on the ground.  Carver let out a frustrated grunt, fighting to get away from his mother's vice-like grip.  After all, he reasoned, he was old enough to take care of himself.

"Scarlett," Elizabeth spoke up just above a whisper, "I think this deserves an explanation."

Scarlett looked up at the younger woman and gritted her teeth.  "You weren't s'pose to follow," she growled, standing to her feet but keeping a tight grip on her son's hand.  "Why did you?"

She felt a warm hand being placed on her shoulder and looked back to find that Aubrianna had come up behind them.  She looked at Scarlett with a reassuring smile, and then looked to the three newcomers with a welcoming look in her warm brown eyes.  "Why don't we all go inside for a nice cup of tea?" she suggested.  "I think something warm will do us all some good."

Scarlett let her eyes travel away from Aubrianna to Jack.  His face was stony, his eyes unblinking, but there was an angry, hurt look in his eyes that she couldn't ignore, and he was looking right at her.  "I think that is a good idea, Aubri," Scarlett said. 

"Good.  I will show them the way."  Aubri paused a moment and took Carver's hand from his mother's.  She looked at Scarlett and said pointedly, "I will leave you and my son to talk," she said, looking to Jack.  She led Carver into the house, motioning for Will and Elizabeth to follow her inside.

 Scarlett sent a murderous glare after the older woman, angry that Aubri would just leave her like this.  "How about you bring the tea out here?" she suggested through gritted teeth.

"I think we need to talk, lass."

Scarlett sent Jack an exasperated look.  "What is there to talk about?  Everything you needed to know just walked through that door!"  She jumped as the back door closed with a resounding click.  It was just she and Jack now.  "Damn," she grumbled. 

"Scarlett-"

"I don't want to talk about it, Jack.  You were never supposed to follow me!"  She spun on her heel and stalked away, but quickly paused and turned back around to voice one more question.  "Why did you follow me?  And don't tell me it was because Will and Elizabeth have magnificent persuading skills because I know that to be a bunch of codswallop."

Jack walked down the five steps toward her, and she quickly mimicked his actions by taking the same amount of steps back.  Jack stopped.  "I just want to know why you didn't tell me."

Scarlett burst out laughing.  "Oh, please, Jack!  What would you have wanted me to say?  Oh yeah, hi Jack it's great to see you again, how have you been?  Oh, and before I forget to say anything, you have an eleven-year-old son that is just dying to find out who his real father is."  She halted, shaking her head.  "Cummon.  It isn't exactly dinner conversation here."

"I still deserved to know," Jack replied, growing angrier by the second.  "He is my son, isn't he?"

"To my utter shame, yes!  He is the son of a lazy, drunken pirate captain that spends half of every year sitting in a prison cell.  And what makes it even worse is that he wants to be just like you.  He wants to become a pirate!  A pirate, Jack!  He's so much like you it's bizarre.  The only thing he got from me is a quick temper!"

"Who wouldn't want to live the life of a pirate?  It's more fun that sitting in a conference room listening to some boring governor drone on about politics!  Pirates are free spirits, love!  You once embraced that life."

"And now I scorn it," she replied.  "You may have tossed everything away, Jack, but that was your choice.  Carver will not be following in your footsteps.  I will die before I see my son become a pirate just like his-good-for-nothing father!"

Carver stared out the parlour window, watching as his mother and the pirate shouted at one another.  Though their voices were muffled and indiscernible, the volume in which they were yelling was more than evident.  He couldn't understand why his mother would hate this pirate so much. 

"Carver, dear, come sit by me," his grandmother said, patting the seat beside her on the sofa.

Carver sighed and reluctantly slid to his feet and sat down by his grandmother.  "Grandma, why does Mum hate that pirate so much?" he asked in confusion. 

Aubrianna smoothed his hair lovingly.  "Don't you worry your little head about it, Carver.  Everything will be all right in due time."

Will looked at Elizabeth sitting beside him.  She was staring into her teacup with a vacant look in her eyes. 

"Would you like another cup of tea, William?" Aubri offered.

Will looked up and gently shook his head.  "No, thank you."  He eyes went to the young boy, admiring how much he looked like Jack.  The resemblance was uncanny; there was no mistaking it.  Carver looked up, as if sensing his stare, and smiled.  Even that one action reminded Will of Jack.  It was the same charming, kind of cocky, crooked smile.

"Are you a friend of the pirate?" Carver asked.

Will nodded.  "He is a good friend of mine, yes.  Do you like pirates?"  He just barely caught the unsettled expression that crossed Aubrianna's face.

Carver grinned and nodded enthusiastically, jumping to his feet as he did so.  "Oh, yes!  Being a pirate looks like alotta fun!  Are you a pirate?"

The corners of Elizabeth's lips tilted up into a smile as she looked to Will and waited for him to answer. 

"My father was," Will replied easily.  "I'm only a half-blooded pirate."

A sad look came over the boy's face.  "I wish I was.  Mama hates pirates, though she's never told me why.  She said she used to be friends with a pirate, but that all of them are good for nothing bastards."

"Carver!" Aubrianna exclaimed, her eyes widening in shock.  "I never want to hear you speak that word again!  Where did you hear that from?"

Carver looked at her with a blank look, as if he didn't know why he had been scolded. "Mama said it.  She was in her room punching a pillow talkin' bout how pirates were… well, you know," he finished lamely.  His eyes abruptly brightened.  "Is that why she and the pirate outside are shouting?  Because they hate each other?"

Aubrianna glanced at Will and Elizabeth, an uncertain screen seeming to veil her sweet, slightly wrinkled face.  "They don't hate each other, Carver, they've just had past… disagreements, is all."  The hesitation was not lost on Will and Elizabeth.

Just then the door leading to the back courtyard slammed open and Scarlett stormed in, quickly followed by Jack Sparrow.  Scarlett swept into the parlour and heavily dropped onto the vacant chaise lounge.  She glared at Jack as he stood in the doorway.

"Will, Elizabeth, we're leaving," he said.

Elizabeth frowned, glancing toward Scarlett.  "We've only just arrived, couldn't we stay just a little longer?"

"No," he replied defiantly.  "We are leaving the moment the _Black Pearl_ is able."  While he let this sink in, his eyes went to Carver, the boy that looked so much like him, standing in the middle of the room.  He slightly jumped, as if only now did he realize how much the boy looked like him, and a faint urgency to run formed in his mind, but his legs wouldn't work. 

A funny look came over Carver's face and he took a dangerous step closer to Jack standing in the doorframe.  "Mama," he said, although he didn't look at her, "he looks like me!"

A stifled silence fell over the room as Jack and Scarlett stared at each other, daring the other to reply.  Anger, mistrust, and hurt were in both their eyes, anger being the fiercest reigning emotion.

"Carver, dear," Aubrianna spoke up, her eyes flickering in Scarlett's direction, "I think you should sit down by me."

Carver acted as if he had not heard his grandmother.  In fact, Will doubted the boy was even aware of anyone else in the room; he only had eyes for the scruffy pirate before him.  He took two steps forward and halted.  "Are you a real pirate?"

Jack looked down at the boy, not certain of what to do.  "Aye," he said, momentarily hesitating.  "Got a problem with that?"

Carver shook his head vehemently.  "No!  I think it's great!  I want to be a pirate, just like you!"

A sudden, sly looked came into Jack's eyes, and he briefly looked to Scarlett.  A sense of dread overcame her.  What was he going to do?

Author's Note: GIVE ME THAT EMMY!!! Lunges at PineAppleLint and steals the Emmy award from her  MINE!  Whee-hee, I got an Emmy!  coughs into her fist and smiles charmingly  I would like to thank my many reviewers and fans for boosting me to such a high level of esteem. 

Hehe, anyway!  Thank you so much for all the reviews!!  I adore them, and I only wish every time I posted I got so many.  As for this chapter, I hope you aren't too disappointed with it.  I tried to put Jack's character into play so much while, at the same time, trying to fit it in with the flow of my plot.  It isn't easy, trust me!  This plot my mind has somehow created is all twisted…

And yet, I have decided to leave another cliffhanger, though I don't believe it's much of one, but no matter.  Review, guys, I love em more than anything!  (Well, except maybe my many Emmy awards grin)


	19. An Open Invitation

Locks the Emmy in the safe and swallows the key HAH!  I said it was mine, and forever mine it will remain.  Ye shall never steal it, PaL!  NEVER!

Secrets of the Caribbean 

Written By: Riley Barton

[Chapter Eighteen]

In all the years Scarlett had known Jack, she knew one thing above all: never trust him when he had that look in his eyes.  She could still remember the last time she had seen that wild gleam.  She had been seventeen at the time, and only a month previous they had been found hiding in the _Marigold_'s steerage as stowaways.  She and Jack had been mopping the deck when the rotund, vile first-mate on the ship had stridden out onto the deck.  He looked sick, vaguely swaying on the spot.  Jack, who had been about to toss the dirty contents in the mop bucket over the side of the ship, had noticed the man's seemingly drunkenness. He had glanced in Scarlett's direction, and she had known what he was about to do.  She had given him a look, but she knew he wouldn't listen to her.  She had simply turned her back on the entire scene, pretending she didn't know what her best friend was about to do.  She had winced as she heard Jack trip over some rigging coiled on the deck, followed moments later by the splash of water and an angry shout from the _Marigold_'s first-mate.  That memory had long been forgotten, but now, seeing that familiar look again, it came back with a flying force. 

Her heart skipped a beat, and her eyes went involuntarily to her son.  Jack would never hurt the boy physically or verbally, she doubted, so the only remaining choice was hurting her.  Yes, that was what he was about to do.  He didn't have a fight to pick with Carver.  This fight was with her, as it had been since they had been reunited in Port Royal.  She looked at Jack again, but noticed out of the corner of her eye that Elizabeth was giving her a worried look.  Beside her, Will was giving Jack a concerned frown.  This was not going to end well.

"Ye wanna be a pirate, eh?" Jack asked, folding his arms across his chest and leaning against the doorframe; he lazily cocked one of his eyebrows at the boy.  "Yer parents must be proud, then, aye?"  His eyes went to Scarlett across the room.  "They were, after all, pirates themselves."  Scarlett's face went pale and her eyes clouded in a silent fury.

"My parents?" Carver echoed in confusion. "My mum wasn't a pirate.  She hates 'em."

"Is that so?" Jack's voice held an air of laziness within its usual slur, and his eyes were dancing merrily.  "Well, yer mum has been keepin' one 'ell of'a secret from yeh."

Carver turned around and stared at his mother in childish shock.  "Mama, you were a pirate?" he asked in awe.

Scarlett took a deep breath, her gaze flickering to Aubrianna.  The other woman just shook her head, a sadness glittering in her brown eyes.  She pursed her lips and weakly shrugged her shoulders.  There was no way out of this one.  Jack had let the cat out of the bag, and all out of spite.  _He has no idea what he has just done to her,_ Aubrianna thought sadly, looking at her only son.  _He has no idea_.

Scarlett silently glared at Jack for a brief moment.  "I was, Carver," she whispered, a stab of pain slamming into her at the wonder and delight on his small face.  He was never meant to know.  Why was all this happening, why did Jack always have to screw up her life?  She seriously regretted that rainy day over two decades ago when they had met on that cold, stormy beach.  God never should have allowed them to meet.

_Jack saved you_, the familiar, persisting voice in the back of her mind said.  _He saved you from your drunken father's hand._

Scarlett's lips twisted into a scowl.  _Only to toss me right back into Hell_. 

"Wow," Carver whispered.  "Why didn't you tell me?  You always said you hated pirates.  Why?"

"I turned my back on piracy years ago, Carver," she replied.  "It isn't the life I wanted, nor is it the life I want for you.  Being a pirate is not all fun and games.  It's a cold, hard life that you shouldn't have to bare witness to."

"Scarlett," Aubrianna's soft voice interrupted.  She gently shook her head again.  Carver was too young to hear of such vile pirate stories, and Scarlett knew that.  Jack's presence was just fogging her mind, bringing the worst out of her –But it hadn't always been that way. 

Aubrianna could still remember when, as a child, Scarlett would come running up the path to this very house and run in. The door had always been left unlocked, and she had been like family, never having to bother with knocking.  She would always come to her first, ask where Jack was, and then go to him.  Jack had once been her rock, the only person she could depend on.  Her son had been the only one who was able to manage Scarlett.  Though sweet, she had always had a vague temper that could sometimes get out of control.  Jack had constantly calmed her down; she would never let anyone other than him near her. 

Aubrianna sighed, looking between her son and the woman she loved like a daughter.  How had things gone so wrong?

"Ye didn't think that back then, Scarlett," Jack said.  "You loved being a pirate."  His eyes glinted.  "Not to mention a _certain_ pirate."

Scarlett's eyes flashed and she leapt to her feet, her hands balling into fists.  "Don't even start with me, Sparrow!" she shouted.  "I can be just as heartless as you if I want."

Elizabeth's eyes grew wide as she looked between her two friends.  She did not like how this was going, not at all, and Scarlett's young son was unknowingly caught in the middle of it.  She glanced at Will sitting beside her.  He raised an eyebrow at her, his gaze flickering to Jack.  She knew what he was trying to ask her, and she indistinctly nodded.  Yes, she had caught the meaning of Jack's words.

"You're Jack Sparrow?" a small voice spoke up above Scarlett's angry shouting.  Everything came to a stand still, all eyes falling to the small boy who had spoken up in excitement.

Carver gazed at Jack with a wild grin.  Again, he repeated his question: "You are Captain Jack Sparrow?  The captain of the _Black Pearl_?"

"Aye," Jack replied after a moment's hesitation.  "Ye've heard o' me?"

Carved nodded.  "You're the best pirate around, the most famous!"  The pleasure on Jack's face was all too evident as his lips turned up in a smile.

Scarlett felt as if the air had been knocked out of her.  "How have you heard of him?" she asked just above a whisper. 

Carver looked at her over his shoulder.  "People talk 'bout him in the marketplace when grandmother and I buy stuff.  Some of th' kids do, too.  They say that he's killed a big whale, and that he can kill a man with his eyes closed!"

Elizabeth and Will doubted Scarlett could get any paler.

Jack chuckled.  "I see my reputation precedes me."

"It was a blow fish," Scarlett grumbled, glaring at Jack, "not a whale.  It was a small, stupid blow fish."

Jack grinned.  "Come, come, love, don't spoil the boy's admiration for me.  Tis healthy for a young chap to 'ave a role model."

"Role model?" Scarlett scoffed.  "I sincerely hope not.  Having a conniving, sneaky rat for a role model is far from healthy."

"A rat, am I?"  Jack smiled.  "Is that th' best ye can come up with, darling?"

"Don't call me that," she hissed through gritted teeth. 

"It didn't used t' bother you."

Will leapt to his feet and stepped forward, placing a hand on Carver's head.  He smiled at Aubrianna and inclined his head graciously.  "I believe we have overstayed our welcome.  Thank you for your hospitality."

Elizabeth joined him.  "Yes, thank you.  You're home is wonderful, and I only wish we could stay longer."

Aubrianna smiled warmly, though she looked a little strained.  "Why thank you, Miss Swann, and I must disagree, Mr. Turner, you have not overstayed your welcome.  In fact, I insist upon all of you staying the night, and however longer you may need."  She looked to Jack.  "From what William has told me your ship is in much need of repairs and may need to stay in port for a couple of days.  I would be honoured if the three of you and your crew, Jack, would join us here until your ship is fully restored."

"Aubri," Scarlett interrupted, stepping forward to stand alongside her son, "I doubt the Captain and his crew would feel at ease here.  Perhaps we could pay for a couple of rooms in a nearby inn that they could stay in."

"Me crew might prefer to stay on the _Pearl_," Jack said, taking a step into the room, "but I would rather enjoy getting to know the young lad here better."  He smiled engagingly at Carver.  "Would you like that, boy?"

Carver grinned.  "I would," he replied happily.

Scarlett bit her lip, giving Jack a look that could freeze the sun.  "I am certain the Captain of the _Black Pearl_ has better things to do than spend his time with a young boy."

"Nonsense," Jack replied, returning Scarlett's look.  "I think I would enjoy it, really.  A lonely pirate such as meself doesn't get to talk wit' many children very often."

Aubrianna licked her dry lips, wishing she had never opened the invitation.  Her heart had gotten the better of her, lacking in judgment.  How could she think that a couple days of living together could smooth out years of anger and resentment?  She sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose.  She really was an old fool.  An old motherly fool that hoped that her only remaining family could get along, though how this would happen was out of her hands.

Author's note: This chapter sucks.  It's short, not much of story development… Argh, all of you please ignore all the obvious facts.  It's just that it's been six days since my last post and I seem to have a writer's block.  For this chapter I did, at least.  I think I know where I'm going for the next chapter, so I hope it will come out faster than this one.  All of you PLEASE review.  I missed getting those…


	20. Walk A Little Straighter

Wow, never did I ever think it would be possible to make people mad at Captain Jack Sparrow.  Smiles Glad I could be one of the first to do so.   Haha, I honestly didn't expect that big of a reaction toward it.  I'm still laughing over it!  I'm glad you guys liked the chapter despite my negativities toward it, and thank you for those of you who reviewed! I have gotten over one hundred reviews and I can't thank all of you enough.  One of my friend's and I have a bet going that I can get more reviews than she has, and at this rate, I know I'll beat her!  Haha, I'm good, but you guys are even better.  Without you this story would be nowhere! 

((BTW, does anyone know whatever happened to Toucan Crazy, Like A Sparrow??  Haven't heard from her in forever… hm.))

Secrets of the Caribbean 

Written By: Riley Barton

[Chapter Nineteen]

Scarlett brushed a strand of blonde hair behind her ear as the cool ocean breeze tugged at her long, loose hair and yanked it every which way.  She sighed in annoyance, wishing she had a ribbon or something to pull her hair back with.  As it was, she had left anything of that means in her room back in the mansion.

She had left for a walk around an hour ago, leaving Carver in the careful hands of Aubrianna.  Elizabeth and Will had left with Jack a few minutes before she did, the young couple promising to return with their things.  Jack had reported that he would return in the morning after giving out orders to his crew and 'other important things', which she knew meant get drunk on rum and have fun with the whore that caught his eye.  She knew both the old Jack and this new persona of his well enough to be able to read between the lines. 

In the sky above the half-moon shone brightly, its reflection glittering and wavering on the ever-moving blue ocean below.  Scarlett stepped lightly into the small waves lapping onto the beach, shivering as the cold salty water washed over her toes and around her ankles. The ocean spray clung to her tan coloured pants that had been rolled up to her knees, and slimy green seaweed wound their way around her ankles.  She smiled, remembering back to when she used to spend most of her nights sitting on the beach, relishing in the soothing lapping of the ocean waves on the wet, sandy beach and of the sea gulls squawking in the dark sky above.  The beach had been her home, filling the small empty place her drunken father had left behind.

Scarlett turned and walked further up the beach to the dry areas of sand.  She sat down and pulled her legs up to her chest, resting her chin on her knees.  She closed her eyes, imagining that all her worries, anger, and heartache had gone away, roughly tossed into the ocean never to be seen again.  But the moment she opened her eyes again, she knew that could not be.  They were still there, and she was still being forced to face her past head-on with no back up.  Her eyes caught on the tattoo branded into her right arm just above her wrist.  Her breath caught.  It was the letter P, the brand of a pirate.  She may be able to hide that fact mentally and verbally by refusing the knowledge that she had, indeed, been a rogue of the sea -a pirate- but that one tattoo was proof of her lies.  She had always been careful to hide it when she was around Carver, adamant that he would never find out the truth. 

_Damn you, Jack_, she thought, angry tears forming in the corner of her eyes.  _Damn you to Hell._

Scarlett stumbled to her feet, sliding in the shifting sand, and ran for the mansion above the rocky cliff.  She clambered up the man-made pathway carved into the rock to the grassy hill above.  She sighed in relief as the mansion came into view, and she slowed her pace.  She quietly walked across the grass and cobblestone path to the front door, listening for the sound of anyone inside, for the sound of a child.  Hearing none, she frowned and opened one of the front doors.  She was well aware of the fact that she was leaving sandy footprints in the marble hallway, but that had never bothered anyone before.  She closed the door, wiped the sand from her bare feet as best she could, and ascended the staircase to the second floor.

As she reached the landing, she could hear the gentle voice of Aubrianna as she sang one of the many lullabies she had learned as a child.  Scarlett found Aubrianna sitting in Carver's bedroom, gently rocking back and forth in the wooden rocking chair.  Carver lay sleeping on his bed, his mouth hanging slightly open.  She smiled despite her tormented thoughts.

Aubrianna echoed Scarlett's smile when she noticed the woman was standing in the room.  "Have a nice walk?" she whispered so as not to wake Carver.

Scarlett shrugged, kneeling down beside the bed.  She brushed her son's dark brown hair aside, brushing his cheek in a motherly gesture.  Carver yawned, cracked open his dark brown eyes for a brief moment, and closed them again, lapsing into a deep sleep.  Scarlett hid the shiver that had gone up her spine as she had glimpsed her son's dark eyes.  She kissed his forehead and turned away, mentally placing her back to the memories that wanted to overrun her. 

"Why don't you go to sleep, dear," Aubrianna suggested as she came up behind Scarlett.  She placed a comforting hand on the younger woman's shoulder.  "It's been a trying day and you need your sleep.  We can confront our troubles in the morning when things are clearer."

Scarlett reached up to rub her forehead, shaking her head.  "What am I going to do, Aubri?" she whispered, letting herself be led out of her son's bedroom and into the corridor.  "I've tried to keep my past history from him but Jack's come and ruined everything.  For just this one time I wish he could have been his old self and-"

"Hush, child."  Aubrianna caught Scarlett's gaze in her own.  "Wishing for the past will not help the present or future.  We both know that."

"I still can't help wishing," Scarlett replied.  "Things would be so different if he hadn't become such a pure-blooded pirate, drinking every second of the day and getting himself screwed in every situation imaginable."  She sighed and shook her head, looking down the corridor.  "I'm going to bed, Aubri.  I'll see you in the morning."

"Good night, Scarlett," Aubrianna said.  "Your two friends are sleeping just across the hall from you.  I'll be going to sleep in just a moment.  Sweet dreams."

"Sweat dreams," Scarlett echoed, and waited until the older woman disappeared down the staircase.

Aubrianna gently lowered her weary body into one of the two overstuffed chairs by the glowing fireplace, letting the warmth calm her into a peaceful mood.  Today had been wearying and troubling.  She had dreamt of the day her son would return home to visit, but never had she wanted it to be in this manner.  Everything had gone so wrong, and now Scarlett had been severely burnt and Carver's young life had taken a turn for what he considered the best, whereas Scarlett deemed it to be the worst.  She knew her adopted daughter's reasoning for not telling Jack about their son, and she accepted it without a single doubt in her mind.  She could see where the younger woman was coming from and she couldn't contradict her for it.

She found herself thinking of her deceased husband, Carver, whom Scarlett's son had been named after.  Her husband had died a year after their grandson had been born, and his last words had been a request to see his small grandchild's face.  Scarlett had brought her son forward and placed him in the dying man's arms with a sad, tender smile.  He had died shortly after, perfectly content as he held the baby boy in his arms.  With tears in her eyes Scarlett had taken the baby Carver away, holding him close as the physician rushed forward to the bed.

That day had been carved into Aubrianna's mind, as was the funeral.  She had written a letter to her only son Jack, letting him know that his father had died happily.  Scarlett had promised she would make certain the letter got to him.  Whether it had neither of them ever found out, but what they did know was that the infamous pirate captain had not been at the funeral.

Aubrianna's eyes flew open as she heard the sound of a heavy knock on the front doors, followed shortly after by the creaking of the door opening and heavy, booted footsteps on the marble flooring.  She gasped, getting to her small feet and turning around.  A shadowed figure stepped into view through the archway leading into the parlour where Aubrianna stood.  The faint chinking of beads bumping against each other could be heard, and she found herself sighing in relief.  "Jack, is that you?" she called softly.

The man spun around in a drunken way.  "Aye," came a slurred reply.  He swaggered into the room, his boots leaving distinct muddy footprints on the floor.  He drew nearer, and Aubrianna almost choked on the smell of alcohol.  She placed a hand to her forehead and dropped back into her chair.

"Take a seat, son," she said, waving a hand in the direction of the seat beside her own.  "We need to talk."

Jack hesitated, his dark eyes scanning the room cautiously, before letting himself flop ungracefully into the chair.  He let his arms hang over the arms of the chair and his legs kicked out in front of him. 

Aubrianna bit back a retort of disapproval at his posture, but quickly reminded herself that bringing up past etiquette would only make matters worse.  She cleared her throat feebly and looked into her son's eyes.  She felt sad at the mixed emotions she found there.  "I thought you weren't to return until the morning," she said.

Jack shrugged.  "So I came back b'fore that."  His eyes narrowed.  "Is it a problem?"

"No, I was just wondering."  She looked into the flames, trying to find the right words to say, to make him understand the circumstances.  He beat her to it.

"So ye've known I've 'ad a son all these years," he said, "yet ye never thought t' tell me?"

His mother sighed.  "Jack, you must understand where Scarlett is coming from."

"'Fraid I don't see where she's comin' from, hidin' such a large piece of information from me."  He leaned forward, gently swaying.  "She should'a told me."

"I think we should start at the beginning," she said in a resigned voice.  "Jack, do you know why she strongly dislikes you?"

Jack gave her a dumb look.  "She hates me fer dumpin' her and leavin' her b'hind.  Why else?"

"That was a main reason, but also because, as she puts it, you turned your back on her."  It was easy to see that saying this was not easy for the old woman.  "Sometime before you left her behind she says you began to ignore her, leave her out of certain things.  She said she couldn't depend on you anymore."  She paused.  "She was planning on telling you about your son that same night that you left her.  You can imagine how she felt to be betrayed by you, her best friend."

Jack frowned.  "Stop tryin' t' guilt-trip me int' this."

"I'm trying to help you understand."  She took a calming breath.  "After you left her she did not know where to go or where to turn.  She was afraid for her life and the baby she was carrying; she thought her child had died in the fall.  She somehow managed to find a kind fisherman who promised to bring her here where your father and I could care for her.  She's been with us ever since, and I must say that she has held a deep resentment to you since then.  I think the fact that you didn't kill her son softened the hurt a bit, but not by much."

"That still doesn't explain why she didn't tell me th' moment we met again." 

Aubrianna looked into her son's eyes, searching for a sign that he felt guilty for what he had done.  She didn't.  "She didn't tell you for fear of you trying to take him away from her," she finally answered.  "She didn't want Carver to be like you, to live the same life she had had under the watchful eye of a…" Aubrianna hesitated.  "Of a drunken father," she finished lamely.

Jack's eyes widened.  A drunken father?  _What the hell,_ he thought.  _I'm not close to being as dangerous as her father was.  How can she be comparing me to him!_  "Did she say that?" he asked.  He shook his head.  "I'm not a drunk."  His slurred voice was going against him.

"But you are, Jack.  You may not be a violent drunk like her father was, but you are a drunk all the same.  You have liquor on your breath at this very moment, boy.  You can't say that you are not, and that does not go to show that you may not become violent.  Scarlett's father had been a good man once, but when he got too submerged in his drink he became the man you knew him to be.  She is afraid you will turn out the same way, and she doesn't want her son to live in fear for his life."

Jack stumbled to his feet, shaking his head.  "I'm not hearin' this."  He turned and swaggered out of the parlour and up the stairs.  He was not going to sit there and listen to his mother blame him like she was.  He was not half the drunk Scarlett's father had been, and how dare she even suggest that he was!  He paused at the top of the landing to catch his breath, and he halted, the smell of alcohol hovering in the air around him.  Could what his mother had said be true?  Was he sometimes drunk enough to harm someone? 

"No," he growled angrily, and started down the corridor again, swaying every which way in an even worse fashion than normal.  He came to the door that had once been his bedroom and stepped inside.  He froze in the doorway, the sound of his heavy breathing drowning out the even tone of the small boy's breathing in the bed beyond.  His old bedroom had become Carver's.  He turned to leave, feeling as if he was being suffocated, but he stopped, an image forming in his mind of what could be.

He was walking along the beach in his usual, swaggering gait, and Scarlett stood to his left with a tear in her eye and a frown on her face.  He jerked to a stop and looked over his shoulder to see what she was staring at.  He felt as if the air had been knocked out of him when he saw Carver walking along behind him, walking in the exact same manner that he normally did.  The small boy was swaying side to side with each step he took.  He looked up at Jack and smiled.  "I'm gonna be just like you," the boy said.

Jack jerked, stumbling into the corridor.  He caught his breath, roughly shaking the mental image aside.  He looked over his shoulder, thankful to find that the boy was asleep in his bed. 

_Walk a little straighter, Daddy_

_You're swaying side to side_

_Your footsteps make me dizzy_

_And no matter how I try_

_I keep trippin' and stumblin'_

_If you'd look down here you'd see_

_Walk a little straighter, Daddy_

_You're leading me._

Author's Note: If any of you listen to country, you might realize that the last part of this chapter is similar to the song called 'Walk A Little Straighter', which is where I got the name for this chapter.  The song was just so much like my story that I had to put them together.  Anyway, for Louis Reade, I tried to do what you had asked for and I told some of this chapter from Jack's point of view.  At least now I am listening to what you guys say!!  Read and review guys, and I'll be forever grateful!  I would love your feedback for this chapter!


	21. A Father's Care

I know, there hasn't been much action lately and I sincerely apologize, guys!  Please bear with me on this, I beg of you!  Drops onto her knees Action is coming, I promise you, though whether it starts in this chapter or the next is yet to be discovered.  I don't really know how a chapter will turn out until it's finished, so, eheh, right.  On with the next chapter I suppose!

Secrets of the Caribbean 

Written By: Riley Barton

[Chapter Twenty]

The feeling of cold steel against his throat was not the wake-up call Jack Sparrow had been expecting.  The morning sunlight seemed to be shining through his eyelids and blinding him.  He squinted, causing the cold blade being pressed against his throat to cut him.  He hissed, cracking his eyes open to glare at his captor.  However, he couldn't see who it was since they were standing behind him.  Jack frowned, trying to place where he was.  He was in a bedroom, that was for certain, and the large bay windows that led out onto a small balcony to his left were open, letting the ocean breeze and sun stream in.  He was sitting in an overstuffed green chair by a cold fireplace, and just to the right of the fireplace was a wardrobe with a pair of tattered brown pants hanging over one of the two doors.  _Aha_, he thought._  That's right.  _

"Think ya could give me some breathin' room, love?" he asked, wincing somewhat as the blade was pressed closer against his throat. 

"Why are you in my room?" was the retort of an annoyed female.

"Seemed like as good a place as any to take a jolly nap," he replied comically, quickly regretting it as the blade cut him again.

"I suggest you stop with the smartass remarks before I cut off your head."  After a moment longer the blade was removed and Jack could breath freely again. 

Scarlett walked around to stand in front of him and wipe the smearing of his blood on her dagger onto his pants.  She glared at him before tucking the dagger into her boot.  "What are you doing here anyway?  I figured you would be warm and cozy with some whore you found in the local pub," she sneered.

"I thought of it," Jack said truthfully, "but that just didn't appeal t' me fer an odd reason."

Scarlett raised an eyebrow cockily.  "Could it be because of the knowledge that you have a son?" she suggested, forcing a smile.  She turned and headed for the door. 

Jack watched her retreating back, absently chewing on his lower lip.  What was it about him that got her knickers in such a big wad?  He suddenly chuckled aloud.  _Her knickers in a wad,_ he scoffed.  _Ha, haven't literally done that in quite a while. _ He pushed himself to his feet and looked around the room with a mischievous grin.  _She isn't here to see, _he thought,_ so where's the wrong in sneaking around a bit?_

He first went to the wardrobe.  Inside he didn't find much other than boots of varying heights, coats, pants, billowing shirts, shirts torn at the sleeve, and, much to his surprise, he found a dress.  It was obvious she didn't where it very often, and Jack doubted she had worn it even once.  It had been stowed in a drawer at the bottom of the wardrobe underneath a blanket.  Hiding it, Jack guessed.  He held it up and the long skirt fell to the floor.  His eyes widened.  This was no ordinary dress.  In fact, he had never seen anything close to it.  The dress was a dark blue in colour.  The neck was a choker that went halfway up the neck, and the sleeves stopped just above the shoulder.  There was a teardrop opening in the center of the chest area, and the long skirt gently flowed out from the narrow waist.  Folds lined with silver silk were cut into the skirt.

_This would cause a scene with the ladies,_ Jack thought smugly.  _Men, too._  He paused at that last thought, his goofy smile fading just a little.  No, he didn't like that thought.  He folded the dress best he could with his fumbling fingers and stuffed it back into the drawer.  He barely managed to get it completely shut.  He was just turning in the direction of the desk when the booming echo of someone knocking on the front door met his ears.  He paused, his curiousity as to whom the caller was overriding his urge to search Scarlett's room.  He had just reached the staircase as Marge, one of the maids, answered the door.

A man in a riding outfit with a black riding hat tucked under his left arm stood on the doorstep with a pleasant smile on his face. He had honey-hued brown wavy hair and blue eyes, and he was tall and lean.  "Good morning," the man greeted.  "I was wondering if Miss Scarlett was in?  I had heard in town that she had returned."

Marge smiled and nodded eagerly.  "Yes, she is here.  She'll be with you in just a moment."  The bubbly maid hurried away to find Scarlett, leaving the gentleman to his own means. 

Jack frowned, his brow furrowed.  This man seemed very familiar, though he couldn't place why.  There was something about him- his self-assured stance, perhaps, or maybe it was the friendliness of his smile, but whatever it was it put Jack's nerves on edge.  Who was this man, a gentleman, to be calling on a female pirate?  He slowly started down the stairs, leaning back a little as his dark eyes scrutinized the caller.  If he didn't find out this man's name soon he was going to go mad.

Jack suddenly paused on the stairs when the man looked up at him.  The gentleman looked startled, his eyes taking in Jack's appearance with a quick glance-over before coming to rest on his face.  He opened his mouth to voice a question when the pounding footfalls of boots on the marble flooring drew near.  Scarlett came into Jack's peripheral vision, and he felt something inside him twist as she ran to the gentleman and threw her arms around his neck in a hug. 

"Rafe, I was wondering when you would stop by!" Scarlett exclaimed with a delighted smile.

Jack blinked.  Rafe?  As in, Rafael Kirkwood? 

"I came as soon as I could.  Father had a big dinner last night that he insisted I attend, otherwise I would have been here yesterday," the man replied with a smile, loosening his grip on Scarlett's waist and letting her step back.  "You haven't changed since the last I saw you," he added with a grin.

Scarlett rolled her eyes.  "It's only been two or so months."  She folded her arms across her chest, a familiar stance that Jack knew well.  "So how's the family?  Rachael been cured of the virus she had?" 

"She pulled through it in record timing.  Nothing could ever put that sister of mine down for long."  A cheerful glimmer came into the man's eyes.  "Much like a certain woman I know."

Scarlett chuckled.  "Shall we go into the back courtyard?" she suggested.  "Marge can make us some lemonade."

"Sounds good."

Scarlett led Rafe down the hall.  The man chanced another puzzled backward-look in Jack's direction as he followed her. 

"I don't like that man," a small voice said from behind Jack.

Jack jumped in a girlish manner, spinning around awkwardly on the stair.  He frowned at the small boy sitting on the top step, staring at the floor below the staircases banister.  Carver's sad face looked up at Jack.  "But Mama likes him," he replied with a sigh, "so I don't say nothin'."

"And why is that?" Jack asked, joining the boy at the top of the stairs.  "He seems…friendly 'nough."

Carver shrugged.  "I dunno.  I just don't."

"Gut feelin' eh?"

"Guess so."  The boy shrugged again.  He smiled at Jack.  "I like you, though, even if you are a pirate.  Just don't tell Mum, okay?  She'd be angry with me."

Jack raised an eyebrow and the corner of his mouth tipped up in a smile.  He held out a hand and nodded.  "We have an accord, mate," Jack said.

Carver shook the calloused pirate's hand with a confused look on his face.  " A what?"

Jack dropped the boy's hand and slung an arm around Carver's small shoulders.  "Ye've got a lot t' learn before ye can become a pirate, lad," he said.  "A lot t' learn."

Scarlett licked her lips as she desperately tried to focus on what Rafe was talking about.  It was something about politics involving the governor of Marcail, but all the rest was a bunch of high speech she didn't understand.  Rafael Kirkwood had been raised in a high society family.  Though a 'rich boy', that had never stopped him from playing with the rascals of the streets, two of which being his good friends- Scarlett Bane and Jack Anderton, otherwise known as Jack Sparrow.

Scarlett was rather dreading the moment when Rafe and Jack met again.  The three had been good friends as children, but since Scarlett had returned to Marcail a few years ago –pregnant- Rafe had developed a strong dislike for his old friend.  In some ways it went further than Scarlett's feelings, and why that was Scarlett could only guess at.

Scarlett jumped as the door that led onto the back courtyard slammed open with a loud bang, followed immediately after by small pounding footfalls.  She looked over her shoulder just as Carver launched himself at her, holding a small wooden sword in his right hand.  Scarlett eyed the sword with a trained eye.  "Where did you get that?" she slowly asked, taking it from her son's hand.

"Jack gave it to me," the boy stated proudly.  "He found it hidden under a floorboard in my bedroom.  Can ya believe it!"

"I can," Scarlett replied absently, her finger tracing a name carved into the side of the wooden hilt.  She traced out an S, then a C, and so on until she spelled her own name.  This had been one of the two swords she and Jack had fought with as kids.

"I told ye not t' bother yer mum, lad, if she was busy," Jack said, stumbling into the courtyard. 

Scarlett looked at him, noticing that Rafe, who had been looking at Carver with a slight air of annoyance, had also turned to see who else was disturbing his and Scarlett's conversation.  She quickly took in the fact that Jack was also holding a wooden sword, and she knew that Jack's name would be carved into the hilt of that one as her name was carved in the other. 

Jack watched as a look of familiarly crossed Scarlett's face as she looked at the wooden swords.  His grin widened.

"Jack Anderton?" Rafe questioned, a frowning crease crossing his forehead.  A displeased look was in his blue eyes.

Jack looked at Rafe and gave a comical bow.  "Captain Jack Sparrow," he replied, "if you please."  He smiled cockily, wiggling an eyebrow at him, as if to taunt him.

"He's a pirate," Carver stated proudly, his face beaming.  "He's teaching me how to be one, too.  See, watch, I can fight with a sword, Mama!"  He gripped the sword tightly in one hand and launched himself at Jack with a burst of speed. 

Jack, happy to play along, easily blocked the first three stabs the young boy made, but on the fourth one he let Carver 'stab' him in the side.  He dropped his wooden sword and stumbled to the right. 

"Ha, beat you again!" Carver shouted in jubilation.

Unwillingly, warmth seemed to flow through Scarlett at her son's obvious joy.  She looked at Jack and his eyes, merrily dancing, met hers.  She gently shook her head, smiling.  _You rogue_, she thought to herself.  She looked back to Carver, who was completely oblivious to the fact that Jack had let him win.  She knew she should be angry with Jack for going against what she had said about not wanting Carver to become a pirate, and she was, though very little.  The fact that Jack was treating her son with respect and a vague air of care was enough to overshadow her anger.

"Let's see what you can really do, _Captain_."

Scarlett looked to Rafe warily.  The man was on his feet, a dangerous look in his eyes as he glared at Jack Sparrow.  She frowned, quickly glancing at Jack.

"Savvy."  Jack nodded with a child-like grin.  He motioned for Carver to come to him and gave him the wooden sword he was holding.  "Take care of these for me?"  Carver nodded and Jack patted him on the head.  "Good lad."

"Scarlett," Rafe barked at her, "bring us two swords."

Scarlett glared at Rafe.  He would not, could not, do this.  Rafe looked angry enough to kill, but for what reason?  The fact that Jack had returned, or that Carver seemed to adore him?

"Scarlett!" Rafe snapped again.

She shook her head.  "No I will not," she stated firmly.  "You-"

"Scarlett," Jack's husky voice said from a few feet away; she stopped and looked at him.  He raised his eyebrows at her.  "No one'll get 'urt."

She hesitated, looking between the two men.  Could Jack really be so ignorant?  She sighed, slowly rising to her feet.  "I'll be right back," she said quietly.  "Carver, come with me," she instructed.  The boy looked to Jack and only followed his mother after a confirming nod from the rogue pirate.

Jack stared across the courtyard at Rafe and folded his arms across his chest.  The other man was mad, he could tell -a major contrast to the self-assured, friendly smile from earlier.  "So how've ye been, mate?" he called cheerfully.  "Scarlett been treatin' yeh well?"  He grinned.  He could almost see the smoke coming out of Rafe's ears.

"How dare you even come back here," Rafe growled, "especially after what you did to Scarlett."

Jack's smile dropped.  "She told you 'bout that, eh?"

"Of course," he spat, his face shrouded in disgust.  "What you did to her was lower than I ever thought you could go, Anderton."

"Sparrow," Jack said in annoyance, rolling his eyes.  "_Captain_ Jack Sparrow.  How many times will it take for you people t' get it right?"

"What's going on out here?" Elizabeth Swann asked as she and Will walked outside.  She was frowning, looking between the two men facing each other.  She stared at Rafe.  "Who are you?" 

Rafe started.  "Rafael Kirkwood.  And you two are?"

"Elizabeth Swann, and this is William Turner," she replied, waving a hand in Will's direction.  "We're friends of Scarlett and Jack."

"I see."  Rafe cast a glare at Jack.

Just then Scarlett returned with two swords in their proper scabbards.  She passed one to Jack, smiling worriedly at Elizabeth and Will.  "Glad to see the two of you are awake," she said.  "Though I'm afraid you have terrible timing."  Rafe came forward and roughly took the sword and its scabbard from her.  She jumped, not expecting him to be that hasty.

"Let's get this started, eh?" Rafe said, removing the sword and tossing the scabbard aside.  He got into the proper position, waving the sword from side to side in a taunting manner. "Come on, _Sparrow_."

Scarlett backed up between Will and Elizabeth, her eyes flickering between Jack and Rafe.  She watched as Jack pulled his own sword and, nicely, set the scabbard against the wall so it did not get scratched.  Rafe understood the personal jab and attacked before Jack was prepared.  The pirate barely managed to avoid the swing, which could have cost him his head.

"Who's the pirate here, me or you?" he asked, swinging his weapon.  The two blades met and a loud ring sounded.  The two men pressed the blades roughly against the other's blade, and Jack slid his sword up and down much like he had to Will's a short time ago in the smithery.  "Come on, Rafe, I know ye've got more than that."

Rafe lunged at Jack.  The two men went by in a flying wind with a mixture of parries, thrusts, dodging, and taunting remarks.  Will, who was skilled in the art of sword fighting, could see where this fight would end.  Rafael was beginning to wear out already after having used most of his strength in the first part of the battle.  Jack, on the other hand, was merely blocking any thrust or swipe.  He was barely breathing hard. 

"Getting tired, old man?" Jack said, parrying another attack. 

"Bastard," Rafe growled and swiped at Jack again.  "You deserve to die after all you've done."

"Is that so?"  Jack sliced at Rafe's arm, drawing blood.  He raised his eyebrows in mock concern.  "Oh, sorry, mate, seems I've harmed you.  Here, let me help you."  He took a step forward and swiped at Rafe's legs.  "Oops, how careless."  He stepped to the left, ducking his head as Rafe made an angry swing for his neck.  "I think you're getting slower, lad."

Scarlett dug her fingernails deeper into the palm of her hand to the point of drawing blood; her bottom lip was in the same predicament.  Will grabbed a hold of her bleeding hand and squeezed it.  She looked up at him and calmed a little at his reassuring smile. 

Rafe weakly blocked another attack at his stomach, staggering back a step.  Jack grinned.  "Loosing your footing?"

Jack blocked another thrust at his arm as the courtyard door was opened again and Carver came running out.  He stopped short just behind Jack, his eyes wide.  Rafe, unaware of the small boy's presence, made a last, desperate swing at Jack's torso.  Scarlett's eyes widened as the sword spun out in what seemed like slow motion.  The word 'No!' formed on her lips but nothing came out as Will roughly jerked her back.  Jack had seen the boy arrive out of the corner of his eye, and he knew that the boy would be hit.  Without a second though, he shoved his son out of harm's way, throwing his life to the depths of Hell.

Author's Note: HAHA!!  Another chapter finished, and SuzzieQue you got your action, and a cliffhanger.  laughs  I'm so evil.  Please review you guys, and I'll love you for all eternity!


	22. Unspoken Revenge

Haha!  Your responses to that last chapter were hilarious!  I couldn't stop laughing.  In fact, I'm still smiling at the last four I recently read.  You guys can't imagine how happy I am to have people love my story enough to go crazy about one cliffhanger.  It's so great and my parents can only shake their heads and smile at my happiness.  They think it's great, although my dad does give me the occasional glare whenever I suddenly start chuckling at a random moment.  But anyway, I am certain you guys want to read on and see what happened to dear ol' Jack Sparrow, aye?  Well, sorry, but you guys will just have to wait.  We've got to catch up on some ol' rivals first…

Secrets of the Caribbean 

Written By: Riley Barton

[Chapter Twenty-One]

Garret Ansgar shadowed his eyes against the glare of the morning sun as he stared into the distance.  He could just barely make out Port Marcail on the horizon, and it was steadily getting nearer.  He looked over his shoulder at his crew scurrying about the deck fixing the rigging and cleaning the deck.  One small boy on his hands and knees a few feet away scrubbing the wooden planks had briefly paused to follow Ansgar's line of vision.   "Anxious t' get to land, boy?" he barked out.

The boy jumped, spraying himself with droplets of water from his scrub brush.  "No, Captain, sir," the boy replied, scrambling to his feet; he saluted. 

"Then what draws yer int'rest?  A bonny lass, mayhaps?"

The boy shook his head.  "Nay, sir, but Marcail is me home.  Me mum and dad are thar."

Ansgar slowly nodded, deep in thought.  He reached up and scratched his chin, his eyes narrowing.  "How old ye be, lad?"

"Fourteen, Captain."

"Have ye ever 'eard from yer parents anythin' 'bout Jack Sparrow, then?  Whether he lived in Marcail or not?"

The boy thought for a moment, his tongue sticking out of the left side of his mouth.  "Me mum did say thar was a boy that runned away from home when he was only a few years older than I.  Runned 'way with some lass, I think."

Ansgar's eyes glittered dangerously and a cunning smile crossed his face.  "Some lass, eh?  Does th' name Scarlett sound familiar to ye?"

The boy's eyes became alert and he nodded quickly.  "Aye, that t'was her name, sir!  Ye know 'er?"

The captain of the _Cobra_ turned back around, facing the ocean once more.  "Aye, boy, I know 'er.  Ye get back to scrubbin' that deck now.  I want it glistenin' when I come back."

"Aye, aye, sir!"

Ansgar spun on his heel and strode into the captain's quarters.  He laughed uproariously as the door closed behind him.  "Ye've been found out, ye mangy rats," he said aloud, removing a knife from his boot and twirling it idly.  "No one escape's Ansgar and leave 'im wit' an injury wit'out payment.  Nobody.  Not even the infamous Jack Sparrow and his whore."

It was one or two hours before noon when the _Cobra_ pulled into the wharf at Port Marcail.  All hands were on deck running about pulling in the sails and coiling the rigging.  Captain Garret Ansgar stood at the helm of his ship, a gruesome grin pasted on his face.  He gazed around at the variety of men and woman on the wharf going about their business.  His trained eye even took in the small boy nicking a slimy piece of fish from a wooden box resting in the center of a bobbing fishing boat. 

One of his crewmembers dropped the anchor and another swung down to the dock and tied a strong line of rigging to it.  He signaled the 'all-set' to his captain and the gangway was lowered. 

"Go 'head and 'ave some fun, mates," Ansgar shouted to his crew, "but be sure ye're back 'ere by sundown."  The sun caught on one of his gold teeth and shone maliciously.  "We've got things to attend to t'night."

The crew shouted merrily and ran down the gangway to the dock, most of which heading to the first pub they laid their stoned eyes upon.  Ansgar was the last to leave after having grabbed two of his crewmembers and commanding them to stay aboard and watch his ship.  Though angry, they had reluctantly agreed after a glare from their captain.   Ansgar had more important things to do than baby-sit his ship.

He strode down the gangway and into the crowd of people lining the docks.   He walked purposefully through them, shoving anyone who got in his way.  He wasn't quite sure where he was going, but he did know who he was looking for. 

Everything seemed to fly in slow motion.  One second Jack and Rafe were fighting with the pirate captain shouting out taunting remarks, and the next Jack was sliding across the rough stones with Carver rolling a few paces ahead of him.  Rafe's face was stuck in a blank expression, his eyes staring, unmoving, at the still figure on the ground; blood was beginning to form a pool around the body of Jack Sparrow.

Suddenly, as if each person standing in the courtyard had been struck by lightning, they all moved into action: Rafe stumbled back a step, dropping his bloodied sword in the process; Will ran to Jack on the ground; Elizabeth fled indoors to find Aubrianna and tell her to find a physician; and Scarlett went to Carver. 

Elizabeth's shouts could be heard outside in the back courtyard, and they sent a chill down Scarlett's spine.  This could not have happened.  No one was supposed to get hurt!  _You saw the signs_, the annoying voice in the back of her mind reminded her.  _You knew how Rafe would react to Jack being back, and you even saw how angry he was!  Why did you let them fight?_

_Because Jack said no one would get hurt_, came a smaller voice –the voice of reason.  _You were going to refuse until he convinced you everything would be all right. _

"Mum?"

Scarlett blinked and took a shaky breath.  She brushed a strand of her son's dark brown hair from his face and kissed his forehead.  "Are you okay?" she asked, running her hand down his left cheek.  She located a few scrapes on his face and arms, but one minor cut seemed to be the worst of it.  She sighed in relief and pulled Carver into a hug. 

"Mum, is Jack going to be okay?" Carver asked in a small voice, gazing worriedly over his mother's shoulder.

_Jack_.

Scarlett released Carver and looked over her shoulder just as Will looked up at her.  His face was strained.  "Take him inside, Scarlett," he said.  "He shouldn't see this."

Scarlett could only nod, take Carver by the hand, and rush him inside the house.  She intercepted Heidi and quickly pushed her son into the woman's arms.  "Take him upstairs and keep him occupied," she instructed. 

"Yes, miss!"

Scarlett turned to go back outside when Aubrianna called her name.  She stopped and looked over her shoulder to the drawn, frightened face of Jack's mother.  "Scarlett, dear, what's happened?" she asked in a strangled voice.  She latched onto Scarlett's arm and gave a quick tug on it.  "Elizabeth is in near hysterics about Jack.  She's sent Marge to fetch the physician.  Please, tell me what's happened!"

Scarlett placed her hands on the woman's shoulders and tried to look as reassured as she could possibly muster in the current circumstances.  "Jack's been hurt, but I'm certain it's nothing the physician can't handle.  Will and I can take it from here, okay?  All I need is for you to go upstairs and help Heidi with Carver.  I'm not too sure how he'll react to this."

"I want to see my son," Aubrianna demanded in frustration and moved to the back courtyard door.

"Aubri, no!"  Scarlett quickly pulled the woman back.  She could not deal with two people unconscious, and Aubri would most certainly faint if she saw her son right now.  "Please trust me on this.  The moment I have word of anything I will come and tell you."  Her eyes were pleading now.  "Aubri, you've always trusted me in the past."

Aubrianna looked between the door and Scarlett, obviously torn between what to do.  With one final look at the door she heaved a sigh and nodded.  "I trust you with all my heart, Scarlett, and if you think it will be okay then I believe you."

Scarlett was relieved.  "Thank you.  Heidi and Carver are upstairs.  You'll find them there."  She gently pushed Aubri in the direction of the stairs and ran out the back door.   "Will," she exclaimed as she burst out through the door.  She slowed to a halt as she felt her stomach churn at the sight.  This was _not_ good.

"Scarlett, I-"

Scarlett turned on Rafe, sending him a murderous glare.  Her hands balled into fists and her muscles tightened.  "I want you out," she stated through gritted teeth.

Rafe blinked, staring at her in mild anger and frustration.  His gaze flickered to Jack and Will.  "You can't be blaming me for this?" he said in disbelief.  Scarlett gaped at him, her anger growing in fury.  How could he not feel sorry for this?  "It isn't my fault the boy ran out," he declared, hoping to prove his innocence.  "If he had just watched where he was going everything would be fine!"

"Don't even start with me, Rafe!  Don't even try to put the blame on my son.  If you hadn't challenged Jack to that duel and tried so hard to get your revenge then none of this would have happened.  It's your fault for what happened, not Carver's!"

"That runt is the offspring of Jack _Sparrow_, of course he's going to cause trouble!"

This was unbelievable.  How had this scumbag fooled her so badly?  He was nothing better than the dirt on her shoe.  "For your own sake, Rafael, I suggest you get your ass off the grounds and out of my sight before I kill you myself.  And as God is my witness I will."

Rafe's face twisted into a scowl before he strode away, wiping away the seeping blood from the cut on his arm. 

"Scarlett, I need some help!" Will called to her.

She went to him, bending down and placing a hand on his shoulder.  "What can I do?"  She gulped noticeably, glad that Will had enough of a level head to think straight at that point in time. 

"Get me some rags, anything that could help stop this rapid blood flow."  He shook his head.  "If that physician doesn't get here soon I don't know whether Jack will survive or not."

A/N: I am in a very perky mood.  I recently got back from a Toby Mac concert (my favourite singer of all time) so I am in a VERY good mood right now.  God bless Liberty University, mate, for having such spectacular concerts.  I love that place to pieces for it.  (And no one DARE comment on Jerry Falwell because I swear I will refuse to update the next chapter if someone does…warning look)

Anyway, another short, SHORT chapter, but another chapter nonetheless.  Your feedback was wonderful, and I thank the few new reviewers I have for your time: Azura1, Capt'n Lea Robins, Lady of the Realm, and Emma 426 (sorry if I forgot anyone!)  Love you all!  Don't forget to keep those reviews coming!  I'm serious, this story would have stopped at chapter two and have never come this far if not for all the reviews I receive.  ;)


	23. Trust

I'm an evil author, yes I am, and I am quite proud of that fact, too!  Haha, I love my life…

Secrets of the Caribbean 

Written By: Riley Barton

[Chapter Twenty-Two]

Garret Ansgar nimbly nicked a bag of coins from the unsuspecting pocket of a bystander and disappeared into the crowded street.  He grinned in satisfaction upon looking at the bag's contents; there were enough coins in there to buy more than enough rounds of rum.  He had been deprived of his favourite drink for days, ever since that storm had risen up from nowhere while his ship and the _Black Pearl_ had fought.  He pocketed the bag and went in search of a pub.  Maybe he could kill two birds with one stone: locate the whereabouts of Jack Sparrow and his bonny lass, and help himself to a refreshing drink.

He was nearing the dumpier part of town when he stopped short upon seeing a man wearing an expensive riding outfit storm into the street from a smaller road that led up a hill.  His shirtsleeves were town with blood staining the fabric, and his face was red with anger.  The man angrily wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and stomped down the street muttering wildly to himself.  Curious as to what a man such as this was doing in this part of town, and wearing bloodied clothes for that matter, Ansgar followed the man until he came to a small building with raucous laughter emitting from its cracked windows and swinging door.  He smiled in amusement.  This rich boy was going into a pub!  Holding back a chuckle, he followed the boy inside.

The interior of the pub was drab and smoke lingered on the air.  Tables covered in beer bottles and surrounded by men and women filled the floor space, leaving little room for the waitresses to move about.  Broken glass remains littered the plank flooring and beer oozed down a wall.

Ansgar kept his eyes on the rich boy as he made his way to the bar.  The boy sat down heavily and waved down the bartender, who came swiftly.  Garret quickly scanned the room, searching for a face, any face that vaguely resembled a member of the _Black Pearl_'s crew; there was none.  Disappointed but not defeated, he made his way to the bar and joined the rich boy. He shouted an order to the bartender and looked to the boy on his left.  "Get in a fight there, lad?" he asked as he removed a cigar from his tattered jacket.

The boy looked at him for a moment, his eyes narrowed.  He faced forward again with his shoulders hunched.  "What's it to you?"

Ansgar shrugged a shoulder and lit his cigar with a match.  "Just tryin' t' make conversation," he replied, taking a puff, "nothin' given."

The bartender returned with his and the boy's drinks and set them before the two.  Ansgar waited until the boy had taken two large gulps before voicing his next question.  "Ye got a name?"

"Yes, do you?" the boy retorted, and took another drink. 

"Aye.  The name's Ansgar."  He took a gulp from his mug.  "Now what's yers?"

"Never said I'd tell you, did I?"

Ansgar's eyebrows rose with amusement.  "Ye've got a quick tongue fer a rich boy.  Cain't tell me yeh learnt that from yer dad."

"'Cause I didn't," the boy replied, cast Ansgar a glare, downed the remainder of his drink, and slammed a handful of coins onto the bar.  He spat on the ground at Ansgar's feet and walked out.

Ansgar took another leisure puff from his cigar before snuffing it out on the bar. He swiveled around on his stool and stared at the swinging door to the bar. _He'll be back_, he thought smugly.  _A boy that can down a drink that fast ain't a one-time drinker._

"Scarlett?"

The woman jumped in surprise, her head snapping up at the sound of Will's voice.  She stood from her chair and walked toward him, folding her arms across her chest.  Will recognized it as a defensive motion and knew she was preparing for the worst.  Her face was expressionless, a blank piece of parchment.  Will motioned for her to come outside with him and she followed without a word.

"Well?" Scarlett asked once they were outside.  "Is he going to live or not?" she snapped.  "I don't have all bloody day to wait around for him."

"Scarlett," Will said in a much calmer voice.  "Don't get so upset."

Her eyes flashed.  "I'm annoyed, not upset.  If Jack wants to go and get himself bloody killed that's all a bunch of roses for me.  I could care less what he does with the remainder of his pathetic life.  He's already ruined mine, so why shouldn't he destroy his?"

"Why do you hate him so much?" Will asked, his voice growing louder.  "I've known for some time the two of you had something going on beneath the surface, so don't think you had Elizabeth and I fooled.  The rest of the crew may think you and Jack are the best of mates, but I know differently.  What did Jack ever do to you?"

"You really want to know why, Will?" she shouted angrily.  "Fine!  The truth is that he left me behind when he should have been there giving me a helping hand."  She laughed sarcastically.  "We had once been the best of mates, ever since we were kids!  But suddenly, one day, Jack became distant.  He ignored me, gave me any small job that would keep me away from him.  After the silent treatment he suddenly came to me and said I was going ashore with him.  He never told me why; simply that it was an easy job.  Turns out he only needed me to seduce a couple'a men and hit them over the head so he could go in and steal a stupid ruby.  We were followed though, and we had a bunch of men on our tails when we were running back to the _Pearl_.  Two men of the crew threw ropes down to us so we could climb up.  Apparently I was too slow, so once Jack got aboard he cut off my rope and left me to the sharks."  Her face twisted into an angry scowl.  "Damn good mate he was, aye?"  She turned and walked a few paces away, shaking her head.  "I've been planning my revenge on him since then, and I've had all the chances I could ask for," she muttered through clenched teeth.  "And you know what, Will?  I've blown every single chance God's given me.  I can't kill him!"  She wanted to laugh at the irony.  "And now he's gone and gotten himself killed, and when I should be jumping for joy I'm pacing, worried out of my mind."  She spun and aimed a punch at the brick wall behind her.  Will rushed forward and restrained her.

"Scarlett, it's okay.  Calm down," he whispered in her ear.  "It's okay." 

Angry tears were forming in her eyes and she was desperately trying to blink them away.  She shook her head.  "No, it's not okay."  She jerked away from him and dropped to the ground, leaning back against the wall.  "I should hate him, and I do, but at the same time…"

Will sat down beside her and pulled her into a hug.  "You don't hate him, Scarlett.  No one can truly hate him.  That's just the way he is."

"He wasn't always that way," she replied.  "Piracy got the better of him.  He used to scorn any man that drank; now he's no better than they are.  He's no better than my drunken father was."

Will could only shake his head.  He didn't know what to say.

"Will, Scarlett?" Elizabeth called, stepping outside.  She noticed them by the wall and went to them.  She knelt down on the other side of Scarlett and placed a reassuring hand on her arm.  "You can go see him if you want," she suggested quietly.  "The physician said he'll be okay, although he'll have a scar for the rest of his life.  He isn't awake; probably won't be for a few days."

Scarlett shook her head, pulling away from Will.  "No, it's okay.  I'm going for a walk."  She climbed to her feet.  "Tell Carver I'll be back before long."  She headed back inside, leaving Will and Elizabeth by the wall.

Elizabeth sighed and leaned back against Will.  "What are we going to do?" she whispered.

Will remained silent.  He rested his chin on the top of Elizabeth's head and let his embrace speak for him.

Three days later… 

"You again."

Garret Ansgar looked up at the young man as he took a seat at the bar.  A grin crossed his face.  "Aye," he replied.  "Me crew and I are stranded here fer a time while me ship is bein' repaired."  

Rafe looked the pirate over carefully.  It had been three days since he had last seen him at this exact same pub; three days since Scarlett had almost literally thrown him out.  He was still angry from that day.  He had locked himself in his chambers, refusing to see anyone.  By now all the curtains were in angry tatters and his wooden furniture chipped after being thrown every which way.  The servants had not been too pleased.

He reluctantly sat on the stool beside the pirate and ordered a drink.  While he waited, he looked to the pirate, studying him.  He didn't look very trustworthy.  His grimy appearance was enough to make him look away.

"Don't like what ye see, lad?" the pirate, whom Rafe remembered as Ansgar, commented with a grin.  He stuck another cigar between his upturned lips.  He laughed when Rafe didn't say anything.  "Cat got yer tongue, boy?  Ach, no bother.  I already know I'm a sight, so no words from yer mouth will tell me diff'rently."

The bartender brought Rafe his drink.  He grabbed it and swung his head back, taking a long draught of it.

"Slow down, boy, ye'll have a helluva hangover on the morn."

Rafe finished the drink and slammed the empty mug onto the bar.  He glared at the pirate beside him.  "I've a strong stomach," he replied, "and I don't need you to be telling me what I can and cannot do, miscreant."

Ansgar let out a loud guffaw.  "Miscreant?" he gasped out between bellows of haughty laughter.  "So I'm a miscreant, am I?  Well, pray tell young one, what such a name as that means.  I am but a pirate, boy, and do not know yer kind's mouthy speech."

"It means infidel, villain, whatever word you wish to call it."

"Aye, s'pose I am those things.  Jus' depends on how ye look at it."  He let out a puff of smoke and ground the butt of the cigar onto the bar; it was somewhat of a habit of his.  Ansgar allowed the heavy silence to reign for a few minutes, letting the boy's anger dwindle.  Getting him angry was not going to get Garret anywhere.  The only reason he was biding his time with that young whelp was because of this feeling he had that told him this boy knew where Jack Sparrow was.  That, and the fact that everyone quickly declined the idea of Jack Sparrow ever having lived in Port Marcail.  He thought otherwise, though, and had refused to leave.  The very idea that he was so close to Sparrow and yet so far was driving him over the edge.  It seemed gaining this whelp's trust was the only way of finding out the truth.

"Do ye have a bonny lass, lad?" Ansgar asked, putting a false, friendly look on his normally gruff face.  _I should've gone into theatre,_ he thought wryly. 

The whelp's face darkened, though Ansgar doubted the anger was directed at him.  "I thought I had," he replied shortly.  "She was nothing but a blasted whore, though, anyway.  She had a son and everything."

Ansgar's eyebrows rose.  This was interesting.  He longed to ask what the woman's name was, but he knew that would be too hasty.  It would ruin everything, all of his perfectly made plans.  He closed his eyes for a brief moment, silencing the impatient voice in his mind.  He would find out the girl's name the next time the rich boy returned to the pub, when the two of them were on more 'trusting grounds'.

_"Scarlett!"_

_A young girl of eight-years-old looked up, quickly brushing away the tears that were streaming down her face. She sniffed and looked over her shoulder at the boy that was running toward her across the beach.  Her feet slid in the dry sand as she stood up.  A fresh wave of tears rose in her eyes as her friend drew nearer, slowing to a halt a foot away when he saw her tear-stained face.  _

_His eyes darkened.  "What happened?"_

_She closed her eyes and pursed her lips, just shaking her head; she started to hiccup. She felt her friend's arms wrap around her and hold her tight.  She couldn't hold back the tears any longer and cried into his shoulder, wetting the rich emerald-coloured fabric.  _

_Jack stood there as she cried, feeling his anger grow fiercer by the moment.  Scarlett's father must have attacked her again, what else could have set off such a wild waterfall of salty tears?  _

_When her tears slowed to a slow trickle, she pulled away and wiped her face with the back of her hands. "He hurt Mama again, and-" She hiccupped. "This time she didn't get up." _

_Jack's eyes widened in horror.  Though he was the same age as her, he understood a lot more things than Scarlett did.  Little Scarlett, his best friend and soul mate, completely innocent in her own right.  He took her into his arms again and hugged her.  "You can stay with me at my house tonight," he said.  "Mother won't mind."_

_"Daddy would be mad," she said, followed by another hiccup._

_"Let me deal with him," Jack replied in an angry but controlled tone.  "You know I'll always be here to back you up, Scarlett, no matter what."_

A single tear rolled down the soft, warm cheek of a young woman sitting on the cushioned bench in the window seat.  Her knees were pulled up to her chest and her head was thrown back, leaning against the wall behind her.  Another followed that first tear until she opened her eyes and blinked the rest away. 

Scarlett brushed the remaining tears that still ran down her cheeks away and stared out into the night.  The full moon hung in the sky and the many stars twinkled brightly.  Not even a night as beautiful as this could take away the memories.  But, just as that thought flittered through her mind like a sparrow on wings, another memory came to mind…

_"Scarlett, get back here with me hat!"_

_Scarlett laughed merrily as she glanced over her shoulder, running as fast as she could; a black tricorn hat was gripped firmly in her right hand.  "You've got to catch me first, Jack!" she shouted back to him.  She laughed again and picked up speed as she raced across the starboard side of the _Marigold_ to the ships aft. She raced around two of the _Marigold_'s crew, shouting out a quick apology as she accidentally pushed one of them out of the way.  She risked another glance over her shoulder and squealed in a childish manner upon seeing that Jack was catching up.  Sometimes she hated being a girl; it was the men who had the longer legs._

_"You know I'm gonna get you!" Jack called to her._

_"We'll see about that!"  Scarlett took another sharp turn and darted below deck.  She slipped down the stairs and into the steerage compartment.  She slammed her body against the wall and desperately tried to calm her rapid breathing. She bit her lower lip and placed a hand over her heart.  She could hear Jack's heavy footsteps coming down the wooden stairs, drawing closer.  Jack's body weight was going to be a big disadvantage to him.  At nineteen both of them had grown taller since they had run away from home at the age of sixteen, and during those few years Jack had definitely broadened across the chest and had gained a lot more body muscle from hours of doing strenuous work.  Where as the captain of the _Marigold_ had made Jack work as if he was part of the crew, Scarlett had been sentenced to kitchen duty and sewing._

_Scarlet held her breath when the air became silent except for the distant voices of the crew above deck.  She licked her lips nervously, waiting.  Had she missed the sound of Jack returning to the main deck, or was he still waiting?  Well, that was fine with her.  She'd play the game his way.  And so, she sat there for an hour, in the darkness, waiting.  _

_She finally grew weary as her legs became cramped and looked around the corner.  Seeing no one, she stepped out of her hiding place and into the open.  Grinning, she set Jack's hat onto her head and started for the stairs that would take her above._

_Suddenly, arms wrapped around her middle and pulled her back, pressing her tightly against someone's warm and sweaty body.  She struggled to get away, trying not to laugh at the fact that she had been caught.  She had been so close!_

_"Thought ye had fooled Captain Jack Sparrow, eh?" Jack whispered into her ear.  He had, unconsciously, fallen into the roguish speech of a sailor, and every time she heard him talk she couldn't help thinking that it fit him._

_Scarlett smiled and looked at him over her shoulder.  "Captain Jack Sparrow, eh?" she echoed.  "Where did you come up with that name?"_

_Jack turned her around, still keeping a tight grip on her so she couldn't run away with his hat again and grinned.  "You know I've always wanted to be captain of me own ship, and I figured I needed a new name.  Captain Jack Sparrow just has a certain ring to it, don't yeh think?"_

_Scarlett shrugged.  "I guess so.  So should I start calling you Captain now?" she teased, a twinkle in her eyes.  When Jack didn't say anything, the twinkle slowly died away into a look of concern.  "Jack, you all right?" She raised an eyebrow questioningly.  _

_The world seemed to come to a standstill with the two friends locked in time.  Everything swung back into motion abruptly as Scarlett suddenly felt warm lips being pressed against her own._

A/N:  Cringe I have come to a conclusion: I CANNOT WRITE ROMANCE!!!  Shudders I dunno, I just can't write it.  I'm being dead serious, I saw staring at my computer screen for five bloody minutes trying to build up the nerve just to write those last two sentences.  I just… I just can't do it!  It's terrible, but I just don't like writing it…!  BUT, don't worry; this is a story with romance, so there will be more.  Don't fret over that. 

Anyway, how many of you guys actually thought I would kill Jack Sparrow?  Laughs Come on, I can't kill him!  He's the entire point of writing at POTC fic.  I just love keeping you guys on the edges of your seats, is all.  Well, you know what to do now.  LEAVE A REVIEW!!  I MUST HAVE FEEDBACK OTHERWISE… YOU KNOW WHAT WILL HAPPEN….


	24. Lettin' Go

Thank you everyone for your support!  I was getting such positive feedback from all of you and I felt so much better about everything.  Thank you so much!

Secrets of the Caribbean

Written By: Riley Barton

[Chapter Twenty-Three]

"Jack, lie down… no, stay still…Jack, you're going to-!"

"Ow, damn!"

"…Hurt yourself."

Scarlett held back a chuckle as she passed by the open doorway.  It had been a week and a half since the incident, and Jack had grown very restless.  Never to be one to stay in bed for hours at a time, being forced to stay put 24/7 was not appealing to him.  At the moment, Elizabeth was in Jack's room helping him to change the bandages; she sounded as if she needed help.  Scarlett shrugged and walked on.  _Oh well_.

"Hey, Scarlett, get in here!"

Scarlett paused, sighed, rolled her eyes, and turned and headed back to the door.  She leaned against the doorframe and raised her eyebrows pointedly.  "You called?"  She was trying not to look at Jack, sitting on the edge of the bed without a shirt on.

Elizabeth wiped the back of her hand along her forehead and cast her friend a desperate look.  "A little help," she said in exasperation.  "You know how to deal with him better than I do!"

Scarlett snorted.  "And that fact is supposed to help… how?"

Elizabeth glared at her.  "Scarlett."

The older woman threw her hands into the air and stepped fully into the room.  "Fine, fine, calm down.  Don't get your knickers all twisted," she grumbled.

Jack snickered, but abruptly stopped at the look Elizabeth gave him.  He raised his eyebrows innocently.

Elizabeth shook her head and motioned for Scarlett to hurry up.  "I want you to hold him still while I apply this ointment," she said.

Scarlett stopped short, fixing Elizabeth with a glare.  "You want me to _what_?" she asked through clenched teeth.  She could see Jack grinning from the corner of her eye.

"You heard me," Elizabeth retorted, her patience wearing thin. 

"My being here will not accomplish anything."  Scarlett folded her arms across her chest.

Jack's grin widened.  "I swear on me ship that I will not so much as wince if Scarlett is the one doin' the bandaging."

Whereas Scarlett glared at the roguish pirate in open anger, a relived look passed over Elizabeth's face.  "There ya have it, Scarlett," Elizabeth said in a quick rush, starting to bustle about.  She quickly handed the female pirate the bandages, ointments, and cloths before Scarlett could utter a single word.  "If you need anything I'll be outside with Will and Carver," she called over her shoulder cheerily.  Scarlett turned around to shout at her when Elizabeth gave her a quick wink before shutting the door.

Scarlett gaped, blinking furiously.  "Prissy wench," she grumbled, turning around and dumping everything in her arms onto the bed beside Jack.  "There," she said to him, placing her hands on her hips.  "You can bandage yourself, because I am leaving.  I am by no means your nurse."

"Nah, ye mean more to me than that," he replied coyly.

"Arrogant-"

Jack smiled.  "Sticks and stones, love."

Scarlett scrunched up her lips and glared at him through narrowed eyes.  "Bastard," she finished. 

"If ye think that way then why are ye still here, lass?"

She blinked.  Sometimes he really got on her nerves.  "I was just leaving."  She headed for the door and was surprised when Jack didn't make an attempt to stop her.  She turned into the hallway and slowed as she neared the stairs.  She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.  _Don't go back_, she commanded herself.  _He thinks he knows you well enough to not call you back because he thinks you'll return by your own free will.  Do not turn around and go back._

Stiffly she went down the stairs, slowing with each step.  Her heart was pounding and her lips were pursed.  _Don't fall for that old trick!_ Her mind screamed at her.  _You know he'll only taunt you if you go back now!_  She took another step.  _Don't!_

Growling in frustration, she turned and stormed back up the stairs, angrily slamming her feet harder onto the marble floor than needed.  She came into the room and felt her anger grow at the satisfied smirk on Jack's face; he was sitting in the exact same position.  "I hate you," she growled.  She kicked the door shut with her foot and walked over to the bed.  She picked up a bottle of ointment and turned it this way and that in her hand.  "Here," she said and passed the bottle to him, "you can put that on yourself."

"Come on, love, you can't be that bothered with me," Jack said.  "I'm just a simple pirate who doesn't know any better."

Scarlett turned her eyes on him.  "That's the entire point, Jack," she whispered.  "I hate you for becoming a bloody pirate."

With his good arm he grabbed her right arm and turned it so the softer skin was facing up.  His eyes went to hers.  "But so are you, Scarlett," he replied.  "The proof is in that mark hidden beneath yer shirtsleeves."

Scarlett jerked her arm away, gripping the area where her pirate brand was.  "I'm not a pirate any more," she retorted.  "I gave that life up when you left me to the sharks."  Her eyes didn't hold anger any longer; it was something Jack couldn't put his finger on.  Had he looked closely, he would have recognized it as regret and longing rolled together into a confusing emotion.   She turned her face away and picked up a long, rolled up bandage; she quickly unraveled it.

"So, what's going on b'tween Rafe and ye?"

"Nothing," she replied briskly. 

"Don't give me that.  I saw ye run t' him when he firs' arrived."  Jack raised an eyebrow.  "Do ye love him?"

Scarlett restrained herself from slapping him.  "Do you want help or not?"

"Yes, but my question still stands."

She slowly let out a heavy sigh, stretching the bandage taut.  "No, I don't love, and I don't believe I ever did.  Satisfied?"

"Not quite."

Scarlett tossed the bandage onto the bed.  "What is it you want from me?" she burst out.  "What have I done that is so terrible you have to torment me like this?"  She shook her head.  "I haven't done a single thing that would cause you to hate me.  I have more of a right to be angry than you!"

"How about failing to tell me I had a son, eh?' Jack replied.  "That's a damn good reason."

"You don't have a son," Scarlett spat.  "You are no father to him.  You gave up that right before he was born."

"Is everything all right?" Aubrianna's voice asked from the doorway.  Jack and Scarlett looked to her, and Scarlett's anger fell.  Aubri looked so strained.  "I heard shouting, but I should have known who it would be." 

Scarlett winced.  Was she that predictable?  "Sorry, Aubri," she apologized.

Aubri forced a smile and walked into the room.  "It's all right, dear," she said and patted Scarlett on the shoulder.  "You go on downstairs with your friends and Carver.  I can take over from here."

Scarlett didn't look at Jack.  "Thanks."  She quickly left the room, feeling Jack's eyes boring into her back.

Aubri watched her son and shook her head.  "You've got to let her go, Jack," she said quietly after Scarlett had left the room.  She picked up the long bandage and took the ointment from Jack's hand. 

"Let 'er go?" Jack asked dubiously.  "She's her own person.  I ain't got anythin' on her."

Aubri shook her head and slowly lowered her aching body onto the bed beside him.  "You don't see it, then," she whispered, more to herself than anyone else.  She took a deep, steadying breath.  "You may not know it but you've had a tight hold on her since the two of you were children.  You were her best friend and she looked up to you.  You were her support when things got troublesome.  You protected her the best you could.  For most of her life you have been at her side protecting and loving her."  At that Jack winced and opened his mouth in protest; his mother cut him off.  "Don't defy it, son.  You've loved her like a sister, maybe even more, as Carver's birth protests.  What I do know, however, is that while you may be able to forget her so quickly, she cannot forget you.  Her whole life revolved around you, Jack, and only you.  You were her support, you were her protector, you gave her freedom, and you even gave her the joy of her life."  Jack raised an eyebrow at her questioningly.  Aubri smiled sadly.  "Her son, Carver.  Ever since she returned here those many years ago I have never seen her so happy than when she is with her son.  She's being able to give him the life she dreamt of having."  She licked her cracked, painted lips, and started again.  "So don't you see?  Unknowingly you've still got a tight grip on her, and until you let go she can never really move on with her life.  She's still stuck in the past because you won't let her go."

"She came after me, remember?" Jack retorted, angry that the woman he had unluckily been borne to was talking to him about how to run his life.  This was why he had run away all those many years ago: to get away from her watchful eye.

"She did, because, as I have said, she's stuck in the past.  Her anger at you for turning your back to her still burns strong after eleven years.  Until you let her go, that fire will never die."

**One week later…**

Ansgar roughly bumped his mug of beer against the identical one held in the hands of Rafael Kirkwood.  He grinned manically and exclaimed, "To newfound friends!"  Rafe returned the grin and echoed those three words: to newfound friends.  Both men took a long drink from their mugs and slammed them onto the bar.

Rafe rocked a little in his seat, the grin on his face growing wider.  "Thanks ag'in fer th' rum, mate," Rafe slurred, stumbling off his chair and to his feet. 

Ansgar's hand flew out and grabbed a hold of the younger man's arm.  "Where are ye off to in such a 'urry, lad?  We've barely started talkin'!"

Rafe stared at the pirate with glazed eyes, the grin not leaving his face.  He soon shrugged and lugged his body back onto his seat.  "Alrigh'.  What yeh wanna talk 'bout?"

Ansgar feigned a thoughtful look, absently rubbing his chin.  "How 'bout that lass ye was talkin' 'bout a week or so ago?  What was 'er name?"

An angry look came over Rafe's leering face.  "Her name was Scarlett," he said, gently swaying on the spot in a drunken manner, revealing the many mugs of beer he had consumed throughout the night.  "Pretty country bumpkin, she was.  Blonde hair an' all."

Ansgar felt his heart jump.  His intuition had been right.  Jack Sparrow was inches from his grasp! "Ye said she 'ad a son, aye?  'Oo was th' father, do ye know?"

Rafe slammed his hand on the bar and shouted for another beer, refusing to answer until he had swallowed half of the beer the bartender passed to him.  "Yeah, I know the father.  He was a friend of mine some years ago, the damn pirate."

Pirate?  Ansgar couldn't keep the grin from spreading across his face.  "Pirate, aye?  This pirate got a name?"

Too drunk to notice his 'friend's' inquisitiveness (or maybe too drunk to care), Rafe sneered and replied, "His name was Jack Anderton, though now he prefers it if people call him Jack Sparrow."  He spat the name out in a venomous fashion. 

"_Captain_ Jack Sparrow," Ansgar muttered wryly without thinking.

"Yeah, Captain Jack Sparrow it was."

Ansgar wanted to laugh aloud with mirth.  "Do ye happen to know where he lives, mate?  I've been lookin' fer a pirate and I think this captain may be of some help."

Rafe wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and nodded.  "Follow me," Rafe said, getting to his feet.  "I'll take you there."

A/N:  Uh-oh. Evil music wafts through the air Ansgar knows where Jack is, and Jack is still on the mend after two weeks.  Review and let me know what you think of recent developments!  Go ahead!  Click that little purple button!


	25. Not Picture Perfect

Home from church and shopping and it's time to write!  Of course, I should be working on this pointless assignment for my Creative Writing class (which is due tomorrow, on Monday), but I am more in the mood to work on this story instead.  I know you guys must be just DYING to figure out what's going to happen next, right?  Haha, well, guess I should let you get on with it then.  Enjoy!

P.S. Question for MLE: raises eyebrows with an intrigued smile How did you know my middle name?

Secrets of the Caribbean 

Written By: Riley Barton

[Chapter Twenty-Four]

Scarlett stared out to sea with a wistful look in her eyes, the shining moon above reflected in her dark green orbs.  Her long blonde hair was pulled back with a leather strip and her white billowing shirt rippled in the ocean breeze.  She stood barefooted on the portico that extended from the western side of the downstairs living room with a few simple candles burning in the room behind her.  Dried paint covered the top of her tanned hands and flecks of dark blue paint decorated her pant legs and shirt. 

Growing somewhat cold, she turned and headed back inside.  She left the portico doors open so she could see out, and settled back onto the wooden stool set before the burning fire in the brick fireplace.  She picked up her paintbrush and the smoothly carved paint pallet, dipping the brush into the white dollop of paint.  Scarlett tilted her head to the side and faintly ran the brush across the dark ocean painted onto the white board.  Her brow furrowed in concentration, her fingers flicking the brush back and forth.   She was so absorbed in her work she failed to hear the footsteps of an approaching individual and see the lithe form move around her small workspace before the fire and stand behind her.  Finished with the ocean, she set the paintbrush aside and picked up another, this time dipping it into the red paint.

"So much anger."

Scarlett jumped, thankful her brush had not run across the board and ruined the painting.  She closed her eyes as she set the brush and pallet aside.  "There are more ways to get out your anger than by words, Jack," she whispered, wiping away a smearing of red paint from her thumb.  "Painting just happens to be the other way I let out mine."

"Are ye th' one who painted the picture hangin' above th' fireplace in the parlour?"

Scarlett felt her heart skip a beat.  She knew of which painting he spoke.  She had painted that picture a month after she returned here; just over three months after the day Jack had left her.  It was a simple painting that had taken her only two days to finish.  It was of a sparrow flying above a storm-ravaged sea with one of its golden feathers drifting down onto the ocean waves below.  "I did," she replied, getting to her feet and turning around to face him; she was not going to give him the pleasure of knowing he was getting to her.  "I finished it a couple of weeks before Carver was born."  Her bare feet felt cold on the wooden floor, and she moved closer to the fire in hopes of warming them.  Jack shifted his position and went to sit in a chair not far from the burning fire.

Scarlett watched as he slowly lowered himself into the chair, his face not giving away his discomfort.  He had only started moving around earlier that morning and no matter how much anyone tried to convince him to rest, he would not.  "I've been in that bed for too damn long," he had stated before walking out the door and down the stairs.  Scarlett had not been surprised when he went straight for the kitchen searching for rum.  Now, however, she could see the wound still hurt him; he was favouring his wounded side. 

"What are you still doing up?" she asked reluctantly, hoping he wouldn't take the question to be one of care. "Aubri would blow a hole through the ceiling if she saw you out of bed."

"Do ye really hate me that much, Scarlett?" Jack asked with his eyebrows raised.

Scarlett frowned; of course he would turn the tables on her.  She shook her head and walked past him to the portico.  She would rather be cold outside rather than be warm inside with Jack Sparrow.  She leaned back against the portico's railing and flipped her blonde ponytail over her shoulder. 

"Come on, love," Jack said, joining her on the portico.  "Tis only a simple question."

Scarlett's mouth twitched dangerously and a look came into her eyes.  She flexed the fingers on her left hand, itching to punch him right where Rafe's sword had struck him.  That would definitely put him in bed for another week or two.  Already he was pushing his luck as it was.  "Don't make matters worse than they already are, Sparrow," she said.  She glared at him through narrowed eyes. "If you're hoping to break me, tough.  I don't need you anymore, and you apparently don't need me, so let's just leave it at that and get on with our lives.  You can return to your pillaging and plundering, and Carver and I can go back to how things were without you in the picture."

The cockiness that was usually present in Jack Sparrow's dark eyes was gone.  "Is that what ye want, lass?" he asked huskily.

"More than anything," she replied without any hesitation. 

The window curtains billowed open like a ghost, the silken fabric wafting gently on the air before settling again.  The open balcony windows in Scarlett's room let in the playful breeze without any restraints, and the wind jumped at the chance.  It played with her hair resting on the pillow, it weaved in and out of her bed covers, and it tugged at the clothes thrown carelessly to the floor.  The woman sleeping in her bed remained oblivious to the wind and its playful spirit, merely shifting onto her back and pulling the covers closer to her chin.  Finding nothing more of interest there, the wind left the room and soared through the sky until it found something else to play with.  It did not have to wait long.

Finding its next source of entertainment, the wind floated down to the long hair and billowing shirts of a line of shadowed figures making their way across the front lawn of the grand estate.  Only the gentle snapping of absent twigs and the faint 'clink' of a sword could be heard above the winds laughter.  The wind slipped under the men's clothing, sending shivers down their spines, and brushed its fingers against their faces.

Not making a sound, the line of burly men crept toward the manor with evil grins on their faces.  The man at the front came to a stop before the front door, peering up to the stories above.  Finding an open balcony window, he grinned and motioned for the man standing behind him, Marcinek, to get up there.  This rag-tag group of pirates may be known for flashy entrances with their swords drawn, but this bunch were smarter than to let their prey know they were there.  No, they were far craftier than that.

Marcinek nodded his understanding and remove a long coil of rigging from one of his belt loops.  He tied a large stone to one end of the rope, swung it a few times above his head in a wide oval arc, and let it fly.  The rope soared straight and true, looping around one of the balcony rungs.  He tugged on it before stepping back and letting a small man by the name of Svec take over.  The thin and small man gripped the rope and began to nimbly clamber up it with only the strength of his arms.  His legs swung back and forth wildly as he climbed, the muscles in his arms straining.  He reached the top and swung over the railing, dropping to the balcony's tile floor with a soft thud.  He peered into the room beyond and stopped as he saw movement in the bed to his right.  He didn't move, waiting to see if she would wake.  He smiled when she returned to her slumber.  Svec knotted the rope to the railing and motioned the 'OK' down to his mates and captain.

While Ansgar, Marcinek, and the rest of the _Cobra_'s crew climbed the rope, Svec ventured inside the room to investigate.  He slunk over to the bed and bent down on one knee beside it.  His eyes widened in delight upon seeing the woman asleep on the mattress with her face turned toward him.  Blonde hair spilled over the bed's side and trailed down to the carpet.  He reached out and rubbed the soft hair between two of his fingers.  It had been weeks since he had been with a woman…

A rough hand gripped his shoulder warningly.  Svec looked back and found Garret Ansgar glowering at him.  Without a word Ansgar pointed out the door, ordering the man away.  The pirate did so grudgingly, longing casting a quick glance at the sleeping woman. 

Ansgar looked down at the woman and felt his stomach turn over.  This woman was the one he had sought, and where she was, Captain Jack Sparrow would be.  "Revenge is so sweet," he whispered to her.  A hard look came into his eyes.  "You and that pirate took what was precious to me.  Tis only fair I return the favour."  By now his entire crew had climbed the rope and was lingering in the room.  Ansgar signaled that Marcinek was to remain in this room and watch her while the others searched the house.  Within a matter of minutes the silent house was swarming with pirates, and not a single sleeping inhabitant was even aware of it.

Author's Note: It's been almost eight days since I last updated, so I had to post something.  I've been working on this every chance I got today and this was how it ended up.  I would work on it more but, then it would be another month before I could even finish it.  You see, I am sorry to say that after this chapter is updated I won't be able to even start working on the next chapter until December.  My creative writing class is doing this write-a-novel-in-one-month thing.  So, all of my time has to be spent working on that.  Don't even think this story is over.  I have too much going on this story.  The only thing is it won't be updated for a little while.  If I feel as if I'm ahead in the novel thing I'll work on it, but otherwise…  Anyway, I hope you guys don't mind the chapter's shortness!  Please review!  I need them to get me going through the next few weeks!!


	26. Take and Give Nothing Back

I shouldn't be writing this, I shouldn't be writing this…winces I should be working on my novel for my creative writing class, I shouldn't be working on this.sighs  It's all because I went to see Pirates again at the dollar theatre last night.  I knew this would happen.  Oh well, good for you guys, eh?

 The Lady: I'm sorry this seems to be dragging on.  I'm not a skilled writer, and I'm still developing, so there will be some "dead air" in some areas.  Thanks for your honesty.

Secrets of the Caribbean 

Written By: Riley Barton

[Chapter Twenty-Five]

Jack couldn't sleep.  He had awoken five times throughout the night and he had just woken up for the sixth.  He tucked his hands behind his head and stared up at the ceiling, eventually lowering one hand since it had stretched the area where the sword had cut into him.  He couldn't get Scarlett's last words out of his mind.  More than anything, she had said.  She couldn't hate him that much.  They were pirates.  She should know that pirates are free spirits and don't think before they act.  Even after all these years, how could she still hate him for that one act?  _That isn't an excuse_.  The thought came unbidden, and Jack blinked as it crossed his mind.  Not wanting to face it, he struggled with the blankets, stumbled to his feet, and went to the balcony doors.  He unlatched them and stepped outside. 

The wind came at him, twisting his dark hair into further knots and clanking the beads in his hair together.  He squinted against the harshness of it and looked around.  He was well aware that he only wore a simple pair of pants, but he was fairly certain he had worn less than that for a long part of his life.  He leaned against the cold steel railing and let his eyes roam.  They drifted to the balcony a few feet away: the balcony in Scarlett's bedroom.  He grunted, looking elsewhere.  Something, however, caught his eye.  He took a double take, squinting to see if the rope hanging from her balcony railing was a figment of his imagination.  It wasn't. 

"Damn," he grumbled, spinning around and hurrying back inside.  He made for the door that led out into the hall when he saw the doorknob turn.  Jumping slightly, he searched for a place to hide. 

"'Oo is it we're lookin' fer agin?" a voice asked as the door swung back, admitting two pirates. 

The second backhanded the other, glaring at him fiercely.  "Hesh up, Feroz," he hissed.  "We's lookin' fer the runt."

Feroz rubbed his sore cheek.  "What were tha' fer, Holic?" he replied in a whining voice.  "Oi only axed a question."

Holic made to backhand him again when he paused.  He slowly shook his head and started for the bed.  Seeing it empty, but the sheets obviously disturbed, he spun round, drawing his sword from its scabbard.  His eyes flickered across the length of the room.  "Feroz, someone's outta bed," he whispered.  Feroz's eyes grew wide as saucers and he clumsily drew his own short sword. 

The two men began to search the room, closing the balcony doors and the bedroom door to keep the hiding man from escaping easily.  After a few minutes the search proved futile, and they met near the door.  Feroz looked up at Holic with a nervous look.  "Ye don't think it were Sparrow in 'ere, do yeh?"

Holic shook his head gruffly.  "Oo ever were in 'ere ain't no more, Feroz.  Let's leave."

The two pirates, keeping their swords out, left the room and closed the door behind them.

Jack grunted in pain as he lifted himself back onto the balcony.  He kneeled on it, wincing at the burning pain that was running up his left side.  He should have fought them; killing them would have been easier than hanging from the balcony for a few minutes.  A hand went to the sore area, hissing as one of his rings struck it.

 Using the balcony railing as support, he lifted himself to his feet and hobbled to the balcony doors.  He pulled open one of the doors, mildly surprised that it hadn't been locked, and walked inside.  The two pirates had left his room in a right state, but he ignored it.  He slowly opened the door leading into the corridor and cautiously looked out.  There was a pirate standing at the end of the hall and another disappearing into a room he knew to be the upstairs study.  He placed his attention at the pirate standing further down the corridor.  He was thinking furiously of what he could do to distract the burly man when someone else did it for him.  A small wiry man appeared and motioned for the pirate to follow him. 

Jack took his chance and slipped into Scarlett's room, unnoticed.  He closed the door, sighing in relief, only to be met with a sword at his nose tip.  His kohl-lined eyes narrowed and followed the blade to the hilt and up to the face of the man who held it. 

"Lookee what Oi found," the man croaked.  He sounded as if his throat box had been removed.  That, or he had a frog in his throat, Jack reasoned with a small smile.   "A lil' sparrow come t' join me.  'Ow sweet."

Jack smiled, reaching up and gently pushed the sword out of his face with a fingertip.  "Aye, mate, just thought I would stop in fer a spot o' rum.  Got any?"

Marcinek blinked stupidly for a brief second.  "Hesh up, ye bilgerat.  Oi ain't go th' time t' meddle with ye.  Oi'd kill ye but Oi s'pose the Cap'n will want t' deal wit' ye firs'."

Jack forced a laugh.  "How thoughtful of you.  I, however, must decline th' invitation."  He nimbly hopped to the side, only to have the pirate prick his nose with the sword tip again.  "'Fraid not, then," Jack mumbled.

Marcinek moved to knock Jack out with the hilt of his sword when he stopped, his mouth dropping open.  Blood tricked down from the corners of his mouth and down his chin, dripping onto the crisp carpet below.  His eyes glazed over and the sword dropped from his hands.  He slipped to the ground a moment later, causing Jack to hop-skip back a few steps to avoid a collision.  He stared down at the body with raised eyebrows and a quirky frown, noticing the bloody hole in the back of the man's neck.

"Talking never got us anywhere before, Sparrow, so why did you expect it to work now?" Scarlett asked grudgingly, stepping from the shadows.  She held a fireplace poker in her hand, blood dripping from its point.   She tossed the poker on top of Marcinek's body and made for the bedroom door. 

A playful smile tugged at Jack's lips and a twinkle appeared in his eyes as they scanned Scarlett's clothing apparel.  A thin, flimsy pair of black satin breeches graced her long legs, hovering just below her hips, and the white cotton shirt looked far too small since it stopped an inch below her breasts and fit snuggly against them.  He bit his lower lip and clenched his hands into fists. It was either keep temptation at bay or risk being killed by your previous lover.  The latter was definitely not an ideal way to die.

"Got any weaponry on you?" Jack asked, coming up behind her.  "I left me effects in th' room."

"You," Scarlett whispered, "are not going anywhere.  _You_ are going to sit your little ass in that seat over there and wait.  The sooner that body of yours heals, the sooner you leave."

"How exactly do ye plan on killin' all these villainous pirates all by yer onesies, love?" 

"With Will's help, dumbass.  Now go."  She grabbed the doorknob while with her other hand she reached behind a bookcase and removed a sword sheathed in its scabbard.  She removed the sword and passed Jack the scabbard.  She smiled innocently.  "Now you aren't without protection."  She opened the door and stepped out, making to close the door.  Jack's foot, however, was in the way, and she didn't have time to worry about it.

Scarlett's sword swung up to block an oncoming attack from Holic, shoving him back against the wall.  He slammed against it with a thud, the clashing of swords already having gained the attention of a variety of rogue pirates.  She swung every which way, blocking and parrying thrusts.  She managed to receive a variety of cuts, and only managed to seriously injure one man in a rather long period of time.  She backed down the corridor, glancing over her shoulder every once in a while.  She had to get to Carver before these pirates did.  _If they haven't already_, she thought grimly.  Her strength increased at the thought of her son being held captive by pirates and she managed to back many of the pirates against the walls and to the floor.  She rammed her shoulder into the door when it was clear, spun inside, and closed and locked the door.   She turned around and went to Carver's bed.  She felt her nerves calm as she saw a lump warm beneath the covers.  The pirates hadn't made it to his bedroom yet, thank God. 

As she drew near to the bed, she realized something was drastically wrong.  The lump wasn't moving, or breathing for that matter, and it seemed slightly larger than her son was.  Her heart in her throat, she yanked the covers back to reveal pillows stacked in a neat line.  "Oh, God," she whispered. 

Pirates were pounding on the door and she almost lost it when she heard Aubrianna scream.  Blinking away tears, she made for the door.  She yanked the door open, wildly swinging her sword at any pirate that got in her way.  She could hear swords other than hers ringing somewhere else in the manor –Will.  She killed the two pirates with quick, angry thrusts at their chests and sprinted down the corridor for Aubri's bedroom.  The door was open, hanging on by one hinge.  She ran inside, gasping in dismay at seeing the older woman slumped down by the edge of her bed.  She went to her, pressing her fingers against the woman's wrists. Nothing.  Angry tears fell down Scarlett's face as she rolled back on the balls of her feet, scrambling away as quick as she could.  She let herself cry for a short while, unable to bring herself to her feet.  The only woman who had loved her other than her own mother was dead, and all because of her.  Ansgar was after she and Jack, not Aubrianna.  She had only been in the way.  Trembling, she lurched to her feet, wiping away the tears with the back of her hand.

"Scarlett!" 

"In here, Elizabeth!" Scarlett shouted, hurrying into the corridor. 

The brown-haired beauty grabbed a hold of Scarlett's arms as they met in the empty, torn corridor.  "I've been looking all over for you," she gushed.  "Will and Jack are fighting the last of them, but, Scarlett, I can't find Carver anywhere."

Scarlett blinked away the second onslaught of tears.  "I've got to find him," she whispered, pulling away from Elizabeth and sprinting down the stairs.  All the paintings and tapestries inside the manor were destroyed and the front entranceway doors were completely torn off.  What had once been a clean entrance was now a departure of destruction.  She parried a thrust from a pirate, making her way out the gaping front doorway.  She had to find Ansgar.  Find him, and she knew she would find Carver.

The moon was shining down onto the lawn at the front of the manor, basking the yard in a romantic elegance.  Scarlett couldn't help thinking it was wasted.  With her sword drawn she walked briskly down the front steps to the ground below, halting as her name was called.  She looked straight ahead.  She felt as if the wind had been knocked out of her.  There stood Ansgar, a grin plastered on his face with his sword held in his hand.  Her eyes traveled down to the small boy clutched in Ansgar's vice-like grip.  Carver looked at her with teary eyes, too frightened to speak.  She swallowed, tears burning her own eyes.  She walked purposefully forward but stopped again as Ansgar placed the sword at Carver's throat. 

"Uh-uh," Ansgar said, shaking his head.  "One more step and I'll slice the boy's head off."

Scarlett didn't flex a finger.  "What is it you want, Ansgar?" she shouted to him  "Whatever you want I'll make certain you have it."

The ringing of swords behind her had died down long ago.  It seemed the rapid beating of her heart was the only noise around.  Even the crashing of the ocean waves was muffled by her heartbeats.  "Scarlett," Will whispered, coming forward to stand alongside her.  He was breathing heavily and blood trickled from cuts and other wounds he had sustained from the pirates.  Elizabeth came up on her other side, and Jack came forward on Will's left.  The four stood shoulder-to-shoulder, facing Ansgar and the remaining men from his crew that he had brought with him.  Each was staring down the other, daring them to move. 

"Anything I want, Miss Scarlett?" Ansgar called.  "What if I told you the one thing I want is somethin' ye couldn't give me?  What then?  I guess yer pathetic wager attempt is dry, and that means you 'ave nothing to barter with fer the life of your son."

"Name your price, Ansgar," she replied, shaking.  "Whatever you want.  I guarantee I'll get it to you; just don't take him."

Ansgar looked to Jack.  "And you, Sparrow, would ye be willin' t' give me anythin' fer the boy?"

Jack didn't look at Scarlett.  He didn't respond, but soon nodded his head.  "Aye," he said.

Ansgar smirked.  "Even the _Black Pearl_?"  Ansgar's men erupted in loud guffaws.  Garret shook his head.  "Ye think I'm doin' this just so ye can give me something?" he mocked them.  "This is revenge, kiddos.  This ain't no mere friendly attack.  I've planned this fer weeks.  I've been wantin', longin' to see the fear and anger on yer faces.  This is payback fer what you did all those years ago."  A violent anger seemed to overtake the rogue pirate captain, and in his anger accidentally nicked the neck of Carver, who jumped and gave a small cry in pain.

Scarlett lunged forward, quickly being yanked back by Will and Elizabeth. 

"Seems yer mates have better heads on their shoulders than ye do, Bane."  Ansgar sheathed his sword and motioned for one of his mates, Feroz, to carry the boy.  "Th' rest of yeh," Ansgar shouted to the other crewmembers, "cripple 'em so they cain't foller us." 

 The select few from the crew of the _Cobra_ ran their bony fingers along the edges of their cutlasses, swords, and daggers, licking their lips in anxiousness. 

"Scarlett, go after Carver," Will said.  "We can take care of these rats."

Scarlett could only nod.  She backed away, letting her friends advance.  Elizabeth hung back, knowing she wouldn't be of much use.  Her plan was to stand back and attack with her golden candelabra only when needed.   Scarlett patted her on the shoulder before disappearing into the darkness.  She raced through the trees, ignoring the lashes of pain as branches snapped into her face and tore at her nightclothes.  She didn't even care about her appearance.  All that mattered was getting to Carver.  She headed down the many familiar streets she and Jack had run down throughout their childhoods, every nook and cranny memorized in her mind.  She tore down each like a panther in the darkness, her stomping footfalls barely making a sound as they flew across the ground.  Stones pricked her bare feet and glass cut into her heels, but she pressed on.  Her son's life depended on this.  She reached the wharf in time to see Ansgar walking up the board leading onto the _Cobra_'s deck, followed a few paces behind by Feroz carrying Carver.  With a guttural shout she went after them.  The man in the crow's nest saw her coming and shouted a warning to his captain below.  Ansgar motioned for two of his other men, Ludwik and Maury, to take care of her. 

Scarlett met them head-on, a sudden adrenaline rush being the only thing keeping her moving so swiftly.  Drifting on the edge of unawareness, she fought, lunging at the two men twice her size and blocking attacks that brought her to her knees too many times to count.  They pushed her closer to the wharf's end, and she tried to steer them in the opposite direction.  Ludwik and Maury kept at it, pressing her closer and closer to the dock's edge.  She thrust her sword into Maury's stomach, only to find he was no longer standing there.  Her vision began to blur and she fell backwards. The last she remembered was feeling the harsh cold of ocean water coming up to meet her and seeing the red water drift past her.

Author's Note: Yes!  Another chapter done, but, I feel sad.  whimpers  I didn't get many reviews for the last chapter…  No bother.  grins  I don't mind, just so long as I get a lot for this one.  wink  Anyone think this would be the last battle?  Oh-no, I've still got to fix this love-hate relationship between our two favourite people.   Thanks to those of you who are still reading and reviewing my story.  I am forever in your debt.  bows  Now go ahead and click that little button there.  Go on, I know you want to!


	27. Remember Me

Secrets of the Caribbean

Written By: Riley Barton

[Chapter Twenty-Six]

The sand shifted beneath the scarred, calloused feet of Bernie Callahan as he walked across its surface, relishing in the cool ocean breeze as it blew past him.  This was his daily ritual, to take a slow walk across the beach, collecting any random shell he came across.  He bent down, his old knee's cracking unhealthily, and picked up a perfectly formed clam that had not been broken open.  He smiled in delight, feeling as if his luck was about to change.  He hastily tucked the closed clam into his pocket, gently protecting it with his left hand.  He turned to head back for home when something caught his eye.  He paused, shielding his eyes with a hand to keep the breeze from blurring his vision with stinging sand.  Something was lying on the beach down at the water's edge.  He walked towards it, trying to figure out what the thing could be.  A beached seal, perhaps? or maybe a large clump of seaweed?  _Hmph_, the man thought.  _If that's seaweed it's one helluva big clump of it. _

He drew nearer and suddenly stopped, his eyes widening in horror.  "Oh my," he whispered through his wind-chapped lips.  "Oh, dear God, please," he whispered, furiously making his way to the woman lying on the beach in as much haste as his arthritic legs would allow. 

The woman was cold to the touch, and at first Bernie thought her to be dead.  Upon further inspection, though, he was relieved to find that she still breathed, no matter how faintly.  He rolled her over, pushing with all his might, and quickly inspected her for any vital injuries that should prevent him from moving her.  The worst of her injuries was a large open cut on her right thigh that was covered in sand, encrusted with salty seawater, and rimmed with dried blood.  He winced, shaking his head as a tear rolled down his wrinkled cheek.  "Poor dear," he muttered to himself, "poor dear."  Her lips were blue and her skin was a shade lower than her lips.  Her clothing was torn, not much of it remaining.  He could barely distinguish that they had once been nightclothes.  Another tear rolled down his cheeks as he thought how big of miracle it was that this girl was alive.

With shaking fingers he removed a thin, reed-like instrument from his coat pocket and lifted it to his lips.  Taking a deep breath, he blew into it, letting his fingers move in a rhythmic pattern across the tiny holes cut into the wooden reed's surface.  The tune he played was swift and solemn: a tune of distress.  He looked frantically about as he played, not stopping once as he waited for the arrival of his good friend Fredrick Marsh.  The two had been friends for the past three years, despite the vast gap in age.  Fredrick was training to be a physician, and as such had worried about Bernie's health.  That was how Bernie's reed flute had been created.  If he was ever hurt or needed help, all he needed to do was play the flute Fredrick had made for him. 

Five minutes had passed before Bernie saw the tall man running towards him.  He waved at his friend, tucking the reed flute back into his pocket. 

"Dear Lord, what happened?" Fredrick asked, dropping down beside Bernie.  He reached over and touched the girl's cheek, running his hand near the wounded area on her leg and feeling her pulse by means of her wrist.  He shook his head, disbelief evident in his baby blue eyes.  "It's amazing she's alive, Bern," he whispered, gathering the woman into his arms.  "It's a God-given miracle."  He straightened, cradling her against his chest.  "Your home is the closest.  We can take her there."

In his home, Bernie arranged his own bed, turning down the sheets and fluffing the pillows.  Fredrick trooped inside after him and set the woman on the bed.  She didn't flinch or utter a moan.  She was as quiet and still as death.  Fredrick dug some money from his coat pocket and shoved them into Bernie's hands.  "Go to my house and bring me my bag, then go and buy this woman some warm clothing."  Bernie nodded and went without another thought. 

Fredrick tried to make her as comfortable as he could, rubbing her arms and massaging her stiff muscles; anything that would put life back in her.  He was rubbing her right arm when he noticed something.  He stopped and turned her arm so he could see what it was properly.  He almost backed away in surprise.  It was the letter 'P': the brand of a pirate.  His wide eyes looked at the woman's face and he shook his head.  How had she ever been influenced by the lives of those rogues and miscreants?  He brushed a strand of her cold blonde hair and rubbed it between his fingers.  "Pirate or not," he whispered to the room, "she still needs help."  He stood and left the room, returning a short while later with a large tub and a bucket of steaming water.  He went various times out of the room to retrieve hot water until it was full enough.  Gently taking the woman into his arms, he removed the torn scraps of clothing that remained and lifted her into the tub; decency was not on the top of his priority list.

Bernie returned forty-minutes later with the required materials.  He gave them to Fredrick and let his friend take over.  The young physician did everything he could for her.  He cleaned and bandaged her leg, clothed her in warm clothing, and tucked her safely into bed.  An hour and a half had passed before Bernie recalled the closed clam he had put in his pocket.  Pulling it out, he retrieved a knife and cut the clam open.  Fredrick was sitting at the kitchen table, hovering over a cup of warm herbal tea, when Bernie gave a sudden shout of triumph.  He jumped, looking at his friend in concern.  "You all right, Bern?" he asked.

The old man held his hand out to Fredrick, a beaming smile on his face.  "A pearl, Fredrick!  There was a pearl in that clam I found."  He hugged it to his chest.  "This really is my lucky day."  He paused then, looking over his shoulder to the woman unconscious in his bed.  He slowly nodded, and looked back at his friend.  "Pearl," he whispered.  "We'll call her Pearl, at least until she wakes up and can tell us her real name."

Fredrick mimicked the nod.  "Pearl it is, then.  Our diamond in the rough."

Three and a half months later… 

She absently traced the pirate brand on her arm, willing herself to remember.  She wanted to remember, she really did, but she just couldn't.  The last memory she could remember was falling into the water… cold… icy cold…

Pearl shook her head and clambered to her feet.  Scuffing the sand as she walked, she hugged her arms to her chest and thought.  So much of her life was missing, lost into a dark oblivion that was locked with a key she couldn't seem to find.  Fredrick and Bernie had tried everything and anything to try and trigger her memory, but nothing had.  The pirate brand on her arm was the only link to her past, and it wasn't a very bright one. 

The sun was setting in the distance as she neared a small house resting at the top of the beach.  She smiled and made her way toward it, the welcoming glow shining out the small square window beckoning her.  She stepped up to the door, shaking the sand from her bare feet.  She grasped the doorknob, pushed it open, and stepped inside.  "Bernie?" she called into the house.  She frowned when no one answered back, softly closing the door.  She quickly made her way to his bedroom, hoping he was okay.

Bernie's health had been steadily declining over the past month, causing Fredrick to come by twice a day to check up on him.  Two days ago, however, Fredrick had left for a short trip to a neighbouring port where he could purchase some more supplies for his line of work as a physician.  The physician here just didn't have enough supplies.  She had been given the responsibility to look after their old friend while Fredrick was gone.  She had not once left the house, but today she just hadn't been able to stand it any longer.  She had just had to get out and walk along the beach.  The ocean called to her and resisting its call was futile.

"Bernie?" she called again, nudging his bedroom door open.  She saw Bernie lying in bed and she took three giant steps to his bedside.  "Bernie, are you all right?"   She noticed his sweaty forehead and rushed to get a cloth.  She wiped away the sweat, feeling his forehead.  He was burning up.  She growled in anger at her own stupidity and grabbed the glass bottle resting on the bedside table.  She removed the cork and placed it at Bernie's lips.  "Drink for me, Bern," she whispered softly.  "Cummon, old buddy.  That's it."  She gave him the correct amount of dosage Fredrick had described and replaced the cork.  She patted her friend's arm and tucked him into bed.  "I'll be back real soon.  I'm just going to get the physician."

Pearl ran from the house as fast as she could, hurrying to the physician's house in the center of the port city.  Her bare feet snagged on broken glass shards and wooden planks, but she pressed on.  As she ran, though, something flashed into her mind: _running down various streets in the dark wearing nothing but nightclothes.  She was angry at someone… a pirate captain?_

Pearl skidded to a stop in the middle of the street, blinking rapidly.  Had that been a memory of her past?  She closed her eyes again, hoping more memories would flood back.  Nothing did.  Ignoring the longing in her chest she started running again, reaching the physician's place in less than ten minutes.  "Kevin!" she shouted, banging on the door to the physician's home.  "Kevin, please open up!"

A light flickered on inside and a woman opened the door.  She looked up at Pearl and her face softened.  "Pearl, honey, he isn't here.  He got a call an hour ago.  Is Bernie okay?"

"Bernie's gotten worse, and he has a fever," she said in a rush.  "Where can I find Kevin?"

"He went to the wharf.  Some fisherman was hurt while on a run-"

But Pearl didn't hear the rest.  She was already running down the street to the wharf. 

Kevin Richards slowly wound a bandage around the young boy's leg, smiling warmly at the softly crying patient.  "You'll be fine, Neal," he said.  "Just take it easy for a few days and you'll be as good as new."

The boy forced a smile and nodded, letting his grandfather help him to his feet.  "Thank you, sir," he said.

Kevin nodded.  "You're most welcome."

"Kevin Richards?"

Kevin looked to the doorway where a lanky man stood, a confused look on his face.  "There's a woman out here wanting to see you.  She won't take no for an answer and I think she's about to barge in here if you don't-"

Pearl shoved her way into the room, knocking the poor man out of her way.  "Kevin, Bernie's got a fever," she gasped out.  "You've got to come."

Kevin nodded grimly, giving the fishermen around him brief nods.  He followed Pearl off the fishing boat and onto the docks.  "When did he come down with the fever?"

"Over twenty minutes ago," she replied, surprisingly able to keep up with his pace.  "I had taken a walk on the beach, and when I returned I found him sweating and lying in bed."  She ran a hand through her hair.  "I shouldn't have been so damn stupid," she grumbled.

Kevin grabbed her hand and squeezed it.  "You're not at fault.  You've done the best you can.  That's all Bernie or Fredrick could ever ask for."  He shook his head.  "You brought purpose back into their lives.  Fredrick's passion in helping people had started to dwindle until Bernie found you washed up on shore."

Pearl blinked as those last few words pulled something to the surface.

---

The sand was coarse against her hands as she pushed herself to her feet.  Stumbling to the right, she spat a mouthful of salty ocean water and sand from her mouth.  "Damn you, Jack," she whispered, placing a hand on her slightly protruding stomach.  "Damn you to Hell if you've killed my child."

---

"Pearl?" Kevin looked at the woman in concern.  He placed a hand on her shoulder.  "Are you feeling all right?"  He may as well have been speaking to a wall.  Pearl was in another time and place.

---

A door closed, blocking out the sound of the ocean waves lapping against the hull of the ship.  She looked up from the charts on the desk at the tall man walking toward her.  She returned her gaze to the charts.  "Not now, Jack," she said, scribbling something in a clear space.  "I've got to figure this out.  Work before play."  She felt his hands grip her shoulders and begin to massage them.  She paused, smiling at the warmth that spread through her. 

"Ye've been workin' on that for the past two hours, Scarlett," he whispered.  "Surely you can make time for your captain?"

She rolled her eyes and set the quill back in its correct place.  She allowed Jack to turn the chair around, raising an eyebrow at him.  "If I never get this done you'll be the one to blame."

His eyes darkened and his lips turned up in a smirk.  "Does it look as if I care?"

---

"Scarlett."  The name sounded so familiar to her lips.  Was that her real name? 

"Pearl, what are you talking about?"

Pearl looked up into Kevin's anxious face and blinked.  "What?"

"Are you feeling all right?  You almost blacked out on me for a second.  Is something the matter?"

"I'm remembering," she whispered, gazing out at the ocean to her left. 

Understanding came into his eyes.  "I knew they would return someday."  He placed a hand against her cheek.  "Can you make it to Bernie's or do you need to stay here while I go on ahead?"

Bernie.  Her eyes widened as she remembered her friend.  "No, I'm fine.  Let's hurry.  I've wasted enough time already." 

No more memories were triggered by the time they reached Bernie's home by the beach.  Kevin went in first, going directly to Bernie's bedside.  He called out to Pearl and told her to bring in a bowl of warm water and some towels.  She did so with alacrity, praying that Bernie would be all right.  Thus far she hadn't been much help.  She brought Kevin the materials he had asked for and stepped to the side, watching.  "Is he going to be okay?" she asked, leaning against the wall.  Her pose was defiant, mimicking her mindset: she wanted to know, but was she ready to defend her emotions if the news was bad? 

Kevin didn't reply for a brief minute.  "I'm not sure.  For the moment he seems to only have a fever, but nowadays who knows where a fever can lead to?"

Pearl nodded and left the room, feeling abruptly overwhelmed.  Something was tugging at the back of her memory and she strained to bring it forward.  As large as her concern for Bernie was, she wanted to know of her past just as much.  Having such a large, empty past tormented her day and night to the point of near insanity.  She felt torn, like she was two different people.  One was the Pearl she knew and the other was this unknown pirate.  She looked down at the pirate brand on her arm, and it was then that the memory burst forth with a burning touch.

Pirates were pounding on the door, followed shortly after by a tormented scream –Aubrianna.  She tore from the room with her sword in hand, cutting into anyone that got in her way.  Her feet took her to where she wanted to go.  The bedroom door was hanging on by a hinge and the rooms interior was severely ravaged.  Her eyes went to the woman slumped down by the bed, and she went to her.  She grabbed the older woman's wrist and felt for a pulse.  There was none, the woman was dead. 

Pearl gasped aloud, clutching at her throat.  Her eyes were jammed closed as the memory faded, leaving a horrible aftertaste.  So much pain.  Had her past been so consumed by it?  Was it a life she even wanted to know of?  She jumped as she heard the sound of shattering glass, followed shortly after by a gasp for air.  She ran for the main bedroom and stormed inside.  Kevin was leaning over Bernie, muttering wildly to himself.

"Kevin, what's happened?"  Her hands clenched into fists.  "Please."

"Pearl, you shouldn't be in here," Kevin said, briefly turning in her direction; his face was drawn.  "He's just had a heart attack, Pearl, but please, go into the other room and stay there.  I can handle everything from here."

Pearl backed out of the room, not wanting to be there anyway.  Bernie had helped her when she needed him, and now he needed her help but she was running from the room like a frightened rabbit.  She threw herself onto the sofa and bit her lip hard, trying to hold back the tears.  She hated crying, despised it.  She felt as if all she ever did was cry.  Cry for her forgotten past, for Bernie, for the young children that died when Fredrick had been unable to heal them.  Everything. 

She tried to sleep, thinking it would block out the terrible realization that Bernie might die.  It was something she didn't want to face, something she didn't even want to think about.  She lay there for an hour, ignoring any noise that came from the bedroom where Bernie and Kevin were.  Sleep soon overcame her, but forgotten memories of a forgotten past all but plagued her dreams.

---

They were running, fast and furiously.  Ansgar and his crew were chasing them; they wanted the gem she and Jack Sparrow had stolen from them.  She looked back over her shoulder and picked up her pace, matching that of the man running beside her.  Those other pirates weren't going to get it.  She and Jack came to the large ship docked at the port and two ropes were cast over the side to them.  She grabbed one and began to climb, but Jack outdistanced her.  He got to the top long before she did, but she pressed on.  The baby inside her was weighing her down.  She was getting heavier, and her body couldn't seem to take this overexertion. 

"Scarlett, toss it to me!"

She looked up at him, knowing full well that their pursuers would reach the ship before she reached the deck; but she wasn't giving up yet.  She took another few steps, but Jack called down to her again.  She couldn't ignore direct orders from him.  He was her captain, after all.  She paused and removed the gem from its hiding place between her breasts, tossing it up to him.  He grabbed it and stepped away from the bulwark.  Taking a deep breath, she continued her climb, moving as fast as her body would allow.  Her muscles were screaming and her knees ached. 

Suddenly, the rope went slack and she was falling backwards.  She let out a scream she couldn't hold back and crashed into the ocean. 

---

The moon shone from above and the ocean water lay beneath them as the Lonely Maid made its way to Tortuga.  Scarlett leaned forward over the edge of the crow's nest, trying to get a glimpse of a dolphin that might chance to dive nearby.  Jack grabbed her arm and pulled her back.  "Don't lean over too far, Scar," he said.  "Don't want you falling over."

She gave him a look.  "I'm not going to fall off," she retorted, once again making to lean over the edge. 

Jack grinned boyishly, grabbed her shoulder, and shoved her forward.  She let out a startled shout as she fell, but, at the last moment, Jack grabbed her around the waist and pulled her back.  She closed her eyes as her heart beat fast in her chest.  She hadn't felt so scared in years.

"See how easy it is?" Jack whispered.  "But as I always promise, I won't let anything happen to you.  If you fall, I'll go after you; if you run away, I'll find you; and if you ever hate me, I'll go on loving you anyway."

She looked at him.  "I could never hate you."

Jack shrugged.  "Who knows what the future might hold?"

---

An older Jack looked up at her from his sitting position on the edge of the bed.  "Come on, love, you can't be that bothered with me.  I'm just a simple pirate who doesn't know any better."

"That's the entire point, Jack," she whispered. "I hate you for becoming a bloody pirate."

He grabbed her arm and revealed the pirate brand.  "But so are you, Scarlett."

---

"No!"

Pearl sat upright, clutching her head and wanting to scream.  All these names, all these emotions… they were killing her.  She couldn't take it any longer!  She wanted to scream, to rant at the top of her lungs.  She didn't want to know her past anymore.  Her past was filled with broken promises, pain, death, and confusion.  Her new life was so much better, and now it, too, was being torn apart.  Could she not live anywhere and live happily?  Could God be so hateful as to do this to her?  She began to cry, shaking.  Her head dropped into her hands and she wept, harder than ever before. 

Arms wrapped around her, but she barely felt them.  She didn't want to know whom it was that was holding her.  It could be anyone: this Jack Sparrow from her past memories, Kevin wanting to console her, or even Bernie's ghost.  It was of no matter to her.  She didn't give a damn.  All she wanted to know was what the quickest way to die was.  Her life was of no great value to anyone, so where was the point in living?

Soothing words were whispered and she felt another person's tears mingle with hers.  She only cried harder, as if she was competing with this other person to see who could cry the hardest and the longest.  She knew she would win in the end.  No person could have dealt with as much pain and heartache as she had. 

"Pearl, look at me."

No.  Her name was not Pearl.  Her name was not Scarlett.  Her name was Mara, meaning bitter.  "No."

"Pearl, please."

"My name is not Pearl," she whispered, slowly looking up.  Her red-rimmed eyes burned with a deep loathing and evident pain, startling the man sitting before her.  She took a shaky inhale of air.  "I'm no one."  Her hands balled into fists and she slammed them into the chest of the man holding her.  "No one!"

The man pulled her into his arms and held her tight.  He looked up at the second man sadly and gently shook his head.  "You may leave, Kevin," he whispered.  "Thanks for everything."

Kevin looked sympathetically at him and then to the crying, broken woman.  "Fredrick, if you need anything-"

Fredrick nodded.  "I know.  Thank you."

Kevin patted his friend on the back and departed, closing the door softly behind him. 

Pearl cried herself to sleep that night in Fredrick's arms, muttering to herself about things he could only guess at.  He had remained there on the sofa with her, holding her safe from the nightmares and memories that haunted her.  He would feel her jerk awake, feel her tears soak through his shirt, and then fall asleep again.  It was the longest night of his life.  The following morning proved to be a dreary one.  The rain came down in torrents, mirroring the tormented emotions in the small house on the docks.  He avoided the bedroom where the still body of Bernie lay, keeping the door shut.  He lingered in the main room of the house where Pearl tossed back and forth on the sofa, her pretty face scrunched up into a look of anguish.  He wanted to soothe her aches, but knew he couldn't.  This was a battle he could not heal. 

The day came and went, and evening came upon them.  The rain fizzled off into a mist, bathing the port of Marcail in an even more dismal feel.  Men still went about their duties as normal; Fredrick could hear them shouting at one another as they hauled in ships and pulled in nets full of fish.  Life was going on as normal.  He was just sitting down with another mug of beer to drown his sorrows in when he heard Pearl stumble to her feet.  He rushed into the room just in time to see her walk out the front door.  "Pearl!" he called, running after her, his beer forgotten.  Her determined pace didn't slow and he had to run to catch up with her.   "Hey, where are you going?" he asked, keeping a tight grip on her arm.  "I think it's best we stay at the house.  Pearl, are you even listening to me?"

She suddenly stooped, staring through the mist.  He followed her line of sight, startled to find that the mist had grown worse, and yet seemed very thin in this one section in which Pearl was staring.  He could see the large outline of a ship pulling into port.  He could heard the shout of its captain calling orders to his crew, and the men on the dock were preparing for this ship's arrival.  Pearl began to walk again.  She walked across the wharf, the cold of the evening not seeming to affect her.  Her barren feet walked across the rain-slicked planks like she was walking on sun-soaked grass.  He followed her, stunned at this change. 

The men from the large ship were walking down the plank to the docks below, but she just walked past them as if they weren't even there.  Some stopped and stared as she walked past.  He vaguely watched as one of the men, an older looking man, ran back up to the ship, shouting at someone to come quick.  He ignored them, following Pearl.  He thought she was going to walk all the way to the end of the wharf, but she suddenly turned and walked up a street.  He took after her, concerned and confused. 

She walked down random streets, sometimes stopping and staring at a certain building or dark corner, muttering wildly to herself about something or other.  He could never quite hear her correctly.  He followed her across the port to the poorer side.  He soon became familiar with the direction she was going, and was surprised by it.  She seemed to be heading for the Anderton estate, it seemed.  His assumption was correct when she walked up the hill.  What surprised him, though, was that she didn't completely follow the road.  Instead, she took a short cut.  How she knew that way would be quicker he didn't know, but it was frightening him. 

The manor house came into view and she walked right up to the broken down door, torn from its hinges a couple of months ago when pirates had attacked it.  The people of Marcail had been shocked at the attack and had been mystified by it.  No one had found the pirates after that day.  All anyone knew was that the widow who owned it had died and that her only heir had sold the estate as soon as impossible.  No one had known who the heir was. 

Pearl walked down the torn hallway of the manor and turned into the parlour, a room at the back of the manor.  He followed her inside, taking in the broken down wall that had been overrun by weeds and wildflowers.  He paused in the doorway, watching as she went to the fireplace and knelt down before it.  She picked up a painting that had fallen from its place above the mantle and blew away the dust covering it.  The dust swirled about her until it settled.  She gently ran her fingers across the canvas, staring at the painted picture.  He could barely see that it was of a sparrow flying across a stormy ocean and what looked to be a feather falling from one of its wings.  He frowned, not knowing what the significance of the painting was. 

"Pearl," he called, his voice shaking in the cold, empty night air.  He felt chills run up his spine at the deadness of the house.  Why had she come here, and how had she known her way around?

"Fredrick," she whispered, not standing from her kneeling position, "how is it that I know so much about this place and remember a few things, but I can't seem to figure out who I am?"  She shakily stood to her feet, leaving the painting on the floor.  She took a few steps back, shaking her head.  "I don't know if I want to remember or not.  A part of me does, but the other doesn't."  She looked at him, and he felt his heart break at the despair in her green eyes.  "I can't go on not knowing, and this house."  She shook her head, looking around.  "This house holds the key, as do the people who lived here."  She turned and looked at him.  "Can you tell me who used to live here, Fredrick?"  Her eyes were pleading with him.  "Please, tell me who they were."

He hesitated.  "Carver and Aubrianna Anderton used to live here.  They had a son, I think, but he ran away when he was a teenager."

"Carver?"  The name tasted like honey on her tongue and she savoured it.  She blinked as she remembered.  She had had a son, and his name had been Carver.  A light came into her eyes.  Her son, Carver, and the father had been-  Her eyes widened and a hand went to her forehead.  "The son," she whispered, "what was his name?'  When Fredrick didn't answer, she glared at him and took a menacing step forward.  "Tell me, Fredrick!" she shouted.  "What was their son's name!"

"His name used to be Jack Anderton," another voice said, "But now he goes by the name of Captain Jack Sparrow."  A man walked into the room, stepping over the piles of rubble that had once been a wall.  The slight chink of beads knocking together came to Fredrick's ears and he stared in horror as the infamous pirate captain Jack Sparrow stepped out of the darkness. 

A/N: God, that was a whirlwind.  Was it a whirlwind for you, too?  Laughs insanely That was one helluva ride.  Took me a while to write too.  Hope you guys enjoyed the twist!  Be sure to review or I'll leave you hanging for a week!  Wink


	28. Forgiving and Remembrance

ATTENTION!!!  Please note the fact that this chapter has been slightly re-done and edited.  After receiving mixed reviews I decided to go back over it and change a few things.  For those of you who told me it was a bit rushed, I thank you for your honesty.  I completely agree with you.  I knew the chapter was rushed when I posted it, but I was just so determined to get a chapter posted that I didn't care.  A few days after doing so, however, it began to bug me beyond reason and I just HAD to redo it.  I had originally planned to do the whole chapter over but decided against it, choosing to simply go back and smooth things over, slightly changing the emotions.  If you wish to read the entire chapter again go right ahead, or you can simply skip down to the part where Scarlett remembers everything.  The changes have been made from that point onward.  Thank you and enjoy!

Secrets of the Caribbean

Written By: Riley Barton

[Chapter Twenty-Seven]

For months he had searched for them.  For months he had been blinded to their whereabouts, worrying over them.  Scarlett he had assumed dead, Carver… he had only hoped he was alive, too.  Now, standing in the parlour of his old home where he and Scarlett had spent countless days, he stared at her, waiting.  She looked so desperately confused, and it hurt.  She hated to be confused, always wanting to be on top of things.  It had been a trait he had found annoying some years ago, but now he thought differently. 

Jack looked to the other man standing nearby, quickly looking the guy over to see how he fit into this.  The man had sandy blonde hair and a stocky build.  He looked like a tough guy at a first glance, but a more careful look revealed his soft hands and humble, tidy clothing.  As if feeling his stare, the man looked at him and Jack was taken aback by the startling baby blues eyes the man had.  A deep intensity burned inside them, a look that he knew could either warm the heart of a child or warn someone away with their hell-like fury.  The latter was the look Jack was currently receiving. 

Scarlett's eyes flickered between Jack and Fredrick as her mind raced.  So many memories flashed past her mind but she couldn't seem to catch them.  Flashes of the ocean, laughter, crying, Jack, swords, a woman pirate with dark hair, a ship, jail cells, and a pirate with soft brown eyes all slipped past her, frustrating her to the very edge of her insanity.  She knew she could remember them, but they just wouldn't stick.  Something had to trigger them.  The appearance of the pirate, Captain Jack Sparrow, hadn't triggered much of anything although she did know he was a part of her past.  He was the young man who had sat with her up in that crow's nest and the one she had argued with in… She blinked.  The one she had fought with in this very manor.  She reached up to her forehead and closed her eyes as her mind was jolted back into the past.

---

_"Now curtsy, Scarlett.  Yes, perfectly done."_

_Scarlett smiled at the older woman in her mid-thirties.  "Aubri, do you think I'll ever go to a ball?" she asked dreamily.  _

_Aubri smiled kindly and shrugged.  "Who knows, dear?  You just might."_

_Jack humphed grumpily from a chair in the corner.  "Who cares?"  He slid off the chair to his feet and grabbed Scarlett's hand. "Can we leave now?  You've been doing all this girlish stuff for the past hour."_

_Scarlett jerked her hand back.  "Go and find Rafe.  Maybe he'll sword-fight with you, but I want to stay here."_

_Jack gave her an incredulous look.  "Scar, you know I'll beat him every time.  You're ten times better than he is."_

_Scarlett frowned, caught between wanting to be with Jack and wanting to learn the ways of a lady.  She sighed, turning to Aubri.  "Can we do some more of this tomorrow, Aubri?"_

_Aubri nodded with a twinkle in her eye.  "Of course.  You go change while Jack gets those wooden swords."  She watched the two friends scurry out of the room, shaking her head in amusement._

---

_Scarlett shimmied up the rope hanging from the balcony above, gritting her teeth as her arm muscles began to burn.  She reached the top and Jack held down a hand to help her up.  She tumbled over the balcony and the two of them rolled into Jack's bedroom beyond.  Scarlett burst out laughing, but Jack clamped a hand over her mouth._

_"You want my Mum and Dad to wake up?  They'd hang me from the gallows if they found out I was letting a girl into my bedroom at night."_

_Scarlett shrugged, getting to her feet.  "But I'm not an ordinary girl, Jack.  I practically live here.  Besides," she added in a softer tone, "even if Aubri did find out, she wouldn't make me go back to that hell-hole with my dad."_

_Jack straightened, growing angry.  "He didn't hurt you again, did he?"_

_Scarlett gave him a defiant look.  "I can take care of myself, you know.  I don't need you rescuing me every chance you get."_

_"What did he do?"_

_"What's it matter to you?"  She dropped onto his bed and kicked her ragged shoes off.  "You don't have to put up with him."_

_Jack joined her on the bed.  "You're my best friend, Scar.  That's enough reason for it to matter."_

_Scarlett closed her eyes, her father's words echoing in her mind: 'You weak mutt!  All you ever do is run to that pathetic rich friend of yours.  Does he soothe your pain like the whores in town do for me?'  She took a shaky breath and shook her head.  "Just forget it, Jack.  There's nothing you can do."_

---

Scarlett staggered to the left, bumping into a window seat that had once been adorned by velvet pillows.  She dropped onto it, vaguely surprised it held her weight.  Her memories were so jumbled!  One second Jack was a kind, considering friend, and then in other memories the two of them were fighting out of pure anger.  Which was she to believe?  She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up to find Fredrick. 

"Come on, Pearl, let's get you home," Fredrick said.

"Hold the bucket, mate," Jack said, striding over to them purposefully.  "Scarlett's home is on the _Black Pearl_, not in some thatched-roof house with you."

Fredrick glared at him.  "Her name is Pearl, and she is not taking one step out of this place with you.  Go find some other woman who will gladly keep your bed warm."

Jack's fist connected with Fredrick's jaw, sending the young physician stumbling backward.  "Don't you ever think for one second," Jack growled angrily, "that I would ever do that to her.  You have no idea what she's gone through, boy, not like I do, and I won't stand by and let you drag her back to the hell-hole life I took her away from."

Scarlett winced and made to help Fredrick off of the floor, but as if she herself had been punched, she dropped back onto the bench as her mind began to buzz with memories.  Where her mind had once been a deep, black abyss in a heavy slumber, it was now filled with so many memories it was almost overwhelming.  So many flashed by her mind, running them all together like a filmstrip.  This time, however, they stuck, and what had set them off she couldn't contemplate.  She could remember the time when her son Carver took his first step, she could remember visiting Jack in his prison cell at Port Royal, she could remember the times when she had been very young and her father had treated she and her mother with love and respect… She could remember all of it, and the wave of different emotions crashed over her like a storm-tossed ocean wave, drowning her in them.  She gasped and lurched to her feet.  She walked unsteadily across the room, waving away the helping hands Fredrick and Jack were offering her.  _Damn bastards_, she thought.  _I have legs, ya know._  She stopped and turned around as the wave receded, and she was left standing there like a whale tossed out of the raging ocean.  She blinked three times, clearing away the vague fog that still plagued her mind, and looked up at Jack and Fredrick.  She remembered.  The one thought made her want to laugh in joy.  A smile spread across her face and a laugh welled up inside her throat.  She tried to hold it down but it erupted from inside her like a cauldron about to over-flow.  Never, in the past few weeks she had been with Bernie and Fredrick, had she felt so happy.  Being able to remember had never felt so good.  It was like looking down into a well bathed in darkness only to find that a pile of gold coins lay at the well's bottom.  The laughter emitting from her was one of pure delight and happiness, coming up from the pit of her very being. 

Jack's brow furrowed and he shook his head as he watched his childhood friend double-over in an insane-like laughter.  She really must have knocked her head hard for her to be acting like that.  He glanced at Fredrick out of the corner of his eye.  The physician looked just as surprised and concerned as he felt. 

"Pearl?" Fredrick was the first to say something.  Blood was dripping from his nose and it hurt for him to talk, but he felt like he had to do something.   He placed a hand on her back and stared down at her with his eyebrows drawn together into a straight line.  "Are you all right?"  His words were slurring.

Scarlett straightened, still chuckling to herself, and wiped away the tears that had been riding down her cheeks.  She took a deep breath, but laughter overcame her again.  The expressions on the two men's faces were absolutely hilarious to her for some reason.  That, or she was going crazy.  After a few more moments she calmed down and was able to look Jack and Fredrick in the eye without laughing.  She looked to Fredrick.  "I'm fine," she replied, a smile quirking her lips; Jack feared she was about to have a giggling fit again.  "Better than I have been in awhile, really.  Aw, come on; don't give me that look, Fredrick.  Seriously, I'm fine."

Fredrick flickered a glance in Jack's direction.  "I think you should sit down."

Scarlett felt as if she was floating on air.  She remembered!  No longer was she the girl that had been washed up on shore.  She was Scarlett Bane, the daughter of Marshall and Julia Bane, sibling to none, and mother of Carver.  She was a real person with a past, and she felt good.  She slapped Fredrick on the back in a pirate-like friendly slap and beamed at him.  "I remember," she stated simply.  "I remember every damn, stupid, joyful, and painful little memory, and you know what?  I feel great."  She paused then, realizing how stupid she sounded.  She almost laughed aloud again as she realized she was acting like Jack would after a couple rounds of rum.  She chuckled, but managed to restrain herself.  She looked at Jack, doubting she had ever seen the pirate captain look so worried or confused. 

"Scarlett, love, I really think you should listen to the whelp," Jack said.  "You're acting like some crazed man whose had one too many drinks."  He was moving his finger in a circular motion next to his head with his eyebrows raised.  "Honestly."

Scarlett waved a hand dismissively.  "I don't need to sit down, Jack.  Neither of you can possibly understand how I feel right now.  You haven't forgotten everything about yourself and had to live for days without knowing.  So you see?  You can't begin to imagine how relieved I feel.  I'm a bird let loose from a gilded cage.  Before I couldn't even remember by name.  Now I can tell you not only my name but also my parents' names, my son's name, and-"  Scarlett paused as she felt the happiness start to drain.  The elated feeling she had felt moments before was fading away into the endless oblivion she had left as one memory stuck out above the rest.

_Scarlett stood side-bye side with Will, Jack, and Elizabeth, staring across the lawn to the pirate captain holding a young boy in his arms.  A sword was placed at the boy's neck, threatening to slice Carver's head off if any of them moved a muscle.  _

_"You'll give me anything I want, Miss Scarlett?" the pirate taunted.  _"_What if I told you the one thing I want is somethin' ye couldn't give me? What then? I guess yer pathetic wager attempt is dry, and that means you 'ave nothing to barter with fer the life of your son."_

They had bartered on, she remembered, but nothing had seemed to satisfy Ansgar.  He had taken Carver to his ship, leaving his crew to take care of them and gave him time to get there.  She closed her eyes, remembering how she had fought to get to him only to be hindered by two brutes.  She had been knocked into the water in a dead faint, only to be later washed up on shore and saved by an old man and his young friend.  She shook her head, the happiness gone.  How could she be happy when her son had to be surely dead?  What purpose was there for Ansgar to keep him alive?  She opened her eyes and looked at Jack, more painful memories being brought forward.  He had betrayed her all those years ago, leaving her to save her own skin when it all seemed hopeless.  He had deserted her, not once looking back.  The familiar emotion of anger, both for the loss of her son and the betrayal of Jack Sparrow, kindled into a small fire in her heart.  The happiness of remembering was gone, replaced with sorrow and anger.  "He's dead, isn't he?" she asked.  A dead look had come into her eyes, laced around the edges with the burning fire of anger.  She felt angry tears prickle at the corners of her eyes, and she blinked them away.

Jack hesitated, knowing of whom Scarlett spoke.  "I don't rightfully know.  I've been chasin' him across the seven seas but I always just miss him.  The last port he stopped in was Tortuga, and a man I know there said that he saw Ansgar with a tyke, a young boy.  That was almost four weeks ago."

Scarlett sighed and ran a hand through her hair, desperately trying to restrain the impulse to slap him.  She couldn't slap him for something he was trying to do but unable to do.  The fact he was making an effort to get Carver back caused the anger she felt against him to soften its fury, but the old hurt was still there; she doubted that would ever go away. 

Fredrick ran the back of his hand underneath his nose, wiping away the trickles of blood continuing to seep from his nostrils.  This wasn't happening.  Yes, he had known deep down Pearl had been a pirate.  The brand from the East India Trading Company signified that, but he had always hoped that maybe it was a mistake.  This had just been the clincher, proving the fact that she had been.  How else would she be a friend of the infamous Captain Jack Sparrow?  He took a deep breath, knowing he would have to face it.  He looked to Jack, studying the man's face.  It was a mosaic of emotions, a complicated man to understand, apparently.  Pearl was easier to read.  She seemed angry, hurt somehow, and this person they spoke of… a man with a young boy that meant something to her.  His heart dropped.  She was too old to have a brother that young as they described, leaving one simple fact he didn't want the answer to.  He felt his heart clench as he looked at her, knowing he assumed correctly.  "This boy," he whispered, "he is your son, isn't he?"

Scarlett's head jerked up and she stared at him in mild surprise, as if she had forgotten he was even there.  She blinked and slowly nodded.  "Yes, his name is Carver.  He was captured by pirates over three months ago."

Fredrick's eyes widened and he looked to Jack.  "You've been looking for him?"

"Aye," Jack replied, his eyes scanning him again as if contemplating whether or not to give any more information.  He looked away, the motion showing an act of dismissal. 

Scarlett shook her head and clenched her hands into fists.  They were shaking in anger and she didn't want either man to notice.  She took in Fredrick's face and winced, annoyed with herself for not thinking of his injuries.  "Let me get some bandages and ointment," she said.  She hesitated.  "Aubri used to keep some upstairs.  I'll be back in a few minutes."  She walked around them and past the debris that littered the flooring.

The upstairs hall was in a worse state than the rest of the house.  Three months of neglect had taken a toll on it, and Scarlett had to watch her step to keep from falling through a weak section of floorboard.  She came upon her old room and gently pushed the door open.  It swung back on creaking hinges, admitting her inside.  The balcony doors hung loosely in the frames, her bed sheets were withered with mothballs and covered in moss, and the tapestries and paintings that had adorned the walls were shattered and crumpled on the floor.  She went to the wardrobe and pulled the doors open.  Moths flew out and she reached up instinctively to protect her face.  When the dust settled and the moths flew away, she looked inside, frowning at the state of her old clothes.  She bent down to the drawers at the bottom and pulled one out.  Nestled inside was the gown Aubrianna had made especially for her.  She smiled, remembering when it had been given to her.  'It's for the ball I know you'll go to someday', Aubrianna had said.  That dear woman had never forgotten the one wish Scarlett had kept close to her heart for most of her young childhood.  The dream had faded over time, but Aubrianna hadn't forgotten. 

Now, Scarlett removed the gown from the drawer, finding herself relieved to see it was still in good shape.  The drawer had always been a snug fit, and that fact alone had kept the mold and mothballs away from it.  Cradling it against her chest, she stood and left the room.  She found an old bag that was in fairly good condition in Aubrianna's bedroom, shook out the dust, and placed the gown, tightly folded, inside. 

Gazing around she set the bag against the wall near the door and began to walk around the length of the floorboards.  She stopped before the old vanity and picked up a brush, the bristles broken off and covered in dust.  Her hand clenched around the handle, shaking in anger for what had happened to her dear friend.  With an angry, muffled shout, she threw the brush across the room, closing her eyes just before it hit the wall nearest the window.  She took a shaky breath, determined to be calm when she returned downstairs.  It would do no good for Fredrick to see her this angry; Jack was accustomed to it.  She lingered a few moments longer, calming herself.  She brushed the past memories aside, focusing instead on the good points of Aubrianna's life.  The woman had led a good life, always loving others. She would hate to see her goddaughter, as she had often lovingly called her, in such a state.

Scarlett then quickly found the bandages and some ointment that had managed to escape the onslaught and took them downstairs.

"This was all I could find," she said, returning to the parlour.  She passed them to Fredrick, who sat on a rotting stool.  "We can stop by your place on the way to the _Pearl_ and pick up some of your supplies."

"Thank you."  Fredrick took them and quickly used one of the bandages as a rag to dam the flow of blood.  

Scarlett smiled.  She lingered to make certain he would be all right before going off in search of Jack, who had seemingly disappeared.  It didn't take long.  She found him in the far sections of the back courtyard kneeling before a simple tombstone.  She paused, knowing whose grave the stone would be marking.  She could still feel the hurt and anger she had felt that night when she had walked into Aubrianna's bedroom and had found her dead.  She had been like family, and it had hurt. 

She forced herself forward, stopping to kneel down beside Jack.  She didn't say anything, just simply knelt there with him.  She read the inscription upon the tombstone, noticing the intricately carved vine of roses that went around the stone's edge.  She smiled remembering how much Aubri liked roses.  Aubrianna Christina Anderton was carved into the stone, followed by her birth date and year of death, and then the words: Loving wife and mother.  'The winds may change, but you shall remain forever strong'. 

Scarlett looked at Jack out of the corner of her eye, the familiar pang of deception and the tiny angry fire returning to life.  She looked away, trying to figure out why she was kneeling there with him.  It was then that she looked down, surprised to find a fresh bouquet of roses resting on the grave.  Someone had been putting roses on Aubrianna's grave, but who?  She shook her head, happy not to know. 

She felt a raindrop fall onto her arm and smiled.  It was the tear of an angel, Aubri's guardian angel, weeping for her.  She felt a tear fall from her own eyes and she wiped it away.  _You're trying to tell me something, aren't you?_  She could almost see Aubrianna standing before her in her mind's eye, staring at her with an expression of love and pleading.  Aubri had always hoped the anger Scarlett had kept alive against Jack would fade.  She knew that the old woman had prayed for that every night.  Just after Carver had been born Scarlett had walked into Aubri's bedroom while the woman had been kneeling by her bed praying.  Her words had haunted Scarlett for some time afterward.  She had asked God to bring her goddaughter peace and understanding, that the hurts of the past might heal and be forgotten.  But the burning fire had never been staunched, simply living inside her until it ate away at all reason.  Finding herself face to face with him again all those months ago had made it worse.  She had planned to ruin his life, only to find that she couldn't.  The anger had dwindled into a small flame that neither died nor grew.  It just remained there, a flickering shadow on the wall. 

Now, as another raindrop fell onto her arm, Scarlett knew she had to forget the past.  The anger she felt against him was still there, the pain would always be there, but she had to give him one last chance.  _Okay, Aubrianna_, she thought, imagining herself standing face to face with the older woman.  _I'll give him one last shot, but that's it.  That's all you can ask of me.  _Two more raindrops fell onto her arm, followed shortly after by a light rainfall that fell softly but determined.  The rain was like Aubrianna, soft to the touch but as hard and steady as a rock.  _She'll always be here, even if it's just in spirit._  Her clenched fist loosened and she placed her hand on Jack's shoulder.

"Let's go home, Jack," she whispered.  "Let's go home."

Second A/N: There's the redone chapter.  Hope it wasn't as rushed as before and that the emotions make more sense.  Please tell me your new comments on it.  Your opinions on the changes would be most appreciated.  Merry Christmas to everyone!  (The reviews would be a nice Christmas gift, ya know.  wink)


	29. Welcome Home, Scarlett

Off we go again with another chapter.  And, on a quick note, if you haven't read or skimmed over the revised previous chapter (27) then I suggest you do so because the emotions in that chapter were swapped around and fidgeted with.  On with the chapter, then!

Secrets of the Caribbean

Written By: Riley Barton

[Chapter Twenty-Eight]

The _Black Pearl_ had never looked so welcoming.  It wasn't sparkling like a jewel, but it was a gem all its own.  Scarlett stared up at it, smiling, shifting the weight of the burlap sack tossed across her shoulder.  "Isn't she a sight for sore eyes," she murmured, looking over every inch of the ship. 

Fredrick came up behind her, a wary look on his face.  He was still trying to figure out why he was going along.  What ever had gotten into him to insist on coming was definitely a part of him he had never witnessed before.  His eyes took in the whole of the ship in one sweep before coming to rest on the pirate flag hanging from the top of the mast.  "She's a beauty, all right," he replied.  The _Black Pearl_ was a beautiful ship.  Only problem was that she was a pirate ship and was being steered by the infamous pirate Captain Jack Sparrow.  Under any other circumstances this would have been an event to remember.

Scarlett looked up at him and smiled.  "Thanks for coming along, Fredrick," she said.  "It'll be nice to have a physician on board."

Fredrick returned the smile, ignoring the queasiness and disappointment swirling around in his stomach.  She was thankful to have a physician on board, not because it was Fredrick Marsh.  He, too, adjusted the burlap sack across his shoulder.  "Should we be getting on board then?  You're beau will be starting to wonder where you are," he said wryly.  He froze, realizing what he had said.  It hadn't meant to come out that way.  What was getting into him?

Scarlett looked at him sharply, her brow furrowing.  "He's not my beau, Fredrick," she said quietly.  "We're just friends."

Fredrick couldn't resist remarking, "So that's why the two of you had a son together, is it?"

Scarlett, or Pearl as he still preferred to call her, looked hurt.  The hurt, however, faded into silent anger.  "That was in the past, Fredrick.  We didn't know what we were doing."  She took a deep breath, looking away for a moment.  "If you don't want to come along that's fine; I won't stop you.  I do know all of this is a lot to handle, and I apologize.  You have all the reason in the world to be angry, but I don't want you to leave with a bad impression of who I really am."  She looked at him.  "Leave if you want, but know that I am still leaving with Jack.  It would mean a lot if you came, but I respect your decision not to."  She then walked toward the gangway extended from the ship to the docks below.  She hurried up it, wanting to feel the gentle rocking of the ship beneath her feet.

Scarlett stepped onto the deck and felt an exhilaration she hadn't felt in a long time.  She smiled, recognizing various members from the crew.  She was dismayed to find that only five of them she knew; the others were all new members.  Where had the others all gone?

"Scarlett, lass, glad to see ye alive and kickin'," Gibbs greeted, rushing forward to shake her hand. 

She took it, smiling warmly.  "It's great to be back, Gibbs."  She looked past him to find Anamaria standing there with a small smile on her face.  Scarlett stepped past Gibbs and walked forward, stopping two paces away from the other she-pirate.  "Anamaria."

"Scarlett," Anamaria replied.  The two stared at one another, sizing the other up.  When their eyes met again, their faces broke out into big smiles.  "Great to have ye back a'board, lass."  Anamaria stuck out her hand and the two shook.

Scarlett grinned.  "So, it's a truce then?"  She raised her eyebrows.

Anamaria nodded.  "Truce."

"Aw, cummon, lasses," Gibbs called, cutting in.  "We ain't got all day to be smackin' our jaws.  We've got a ship to set sail!"

Scarlett nodded, turning to the gangway.  She walked to the edge and looked down to the docks.  A heaviness fell over her shoulders to find that Fredrick was not standing there.  He had left.  Sighing dejectedly, she looked down at her hand resting on the bulwark.  She shouldn't have expected so much of him.  He had had to accept so much in such a short period of time.  She knew if she had been in his place, she would have left too.  She picked her head up, trying to understand everything being thrown at her.  A sense of loss from losing another friend overcame her and she tried to quench it. She had other things to think on, like Carver.  He needed her more than Fredrick did.  She turned, making to help with the rigging, but suddenly slammed into someone who had been standing behind.  She was enveloped in a hug with her face being pressed into the man's shoulder.  When she was finally released she looked up.  Her face broke out into a grin and she quickly hugged the man again.  "Will!  I hadn't seen you!"  She paused and looked around.  "Where's Elizabeth?"

Will ran a hand through his shoulder-length brown hair. "I made her return to Port Royal.  She wanted to come along and help search for Carver but Jack and I agreed it would be too dangerous.  Her father about shot me when I walked into his office towing his daughter behind."

Scarlett's eyebrows rose in amusement.  "Don't tell me she didn't let her father know she was leaving with us all those months ago?"

Will laughed, shaking his head.  "I won't tell you then."  Scarlett's soft chuckling mingled with Will's.  "It's great to have you back, Scarlett," Will said, slapping her on the back in a friendly manner.  "Jack wasn't the same without you around."  His eyes twinkled mischievously before he slipped away to help with the unfurling of the sails, leaving a confused Scarlett in his wake.

Scarlett blinked, trying to figure out the meaning behind Will's words.  She frowned, narrowing her eyes.  She looked toward the helm where she knew Jack would be standing, but stopped when she noticed a familiar figure standing nearby.  She couldn't believe it.

Fredrick smiled at her as he lingered by the mast, his things at his feet.  He shrugged his shoulders wearily as if to say, 'Don't ask'.  He felt his heart drop when she smiled and rushed forward to give him a hug.  He wrapped his arms around her, returning it.  When he opened his eyes again he glimpsed a sign of Jack Sparrow watching him with a frown on his face.  When the captain noticed he had been found out, he looked away to some of the crewmembers and shouted at them to get a move on. 

Scarlett pulled away, not having noticed Sparrow's stare, and smiled warmly up at him.  "I'm glad you came.  I thought you had left."

Fredrick nodded.  "I know you did."  He looked at her for another few moments and then reached down to pick up his things.  "So," he said, "where shall I put these?"

Scarlett took his things and motioned for him to follow her.  "I'm sure I can find you a place."

Jack leaned against the helm of his ship, watching Scarlett as she led the physician below deck.  He wasn't sure why he felt like clobbering the damned landlubber.  Brotherly protection on Scarlett's part, perhaps?  His frown deepened.  No, it wasn't quite like that…

"Captain!" a female voice called from below.  "Captain Jack!"

Jack blinked, jerking back into an upright position and looking around for whoever had called his name.  "Aye?"  He spotted Anamaria staring up at him with an exasperated look.  He reached up and shifted his hat absently, waiting for her to continue.

"We're ready t' pull out," she said.  "You just need to give th' order."

"Oh, right." 

Below deck, Scarlett pushed open a door and stepped into a room lined with a set of bunks on either side.  She looked under the bottom bunk of each, smiling in satisfaction.  "Alrigh'," she said.  "Here ya go.  Some mate has the bottom bunk, it looks like, but you can take the top.  There's room underneath here for your belongings."

Fredrick hesitated, glancing worriedly at his physicians bag.  "I'm not certain about putting these under there," he said.  "I've got vials and instruments I would rather not have anyone looking through."

Scarlett pursed her lips, thinking.  "Well," she eventually said, "there aren't any single cabins left over, assuming mine is still available at any rate," she hastily added as the thought came to her, "so I'm afraid you'll have to share a room with someone.  I can put your medical things in my berth, but I can't keep everything in there."  Seeing he still looked uncertain, she smiled sympathetically and leaned against a bedpost.  "It's either this or the brig, and I can assure you the brig is far from welcoming."

Fredrick nodded, just as the ship beneath his feet began to move.  He could feel the waves rolling beneath him, and he found it to be an unhealthy reminder of the trip he had returned on the days previous.  Needless to say he had been sick for the first week.  Reaching out for the bed to keep his weight, he slipped his clothing sack under the bed and passed his physician's bag to Scarlett.  "Put it somewhere safe," he warned.

_One week later…_

The sound of someone retching over the starboard side of the ship came to Scarlett's ears as she crossed the deck to the captain's quarters.  She had been avoiding Jack for the better part of the week, and it was high time she faced him.  She had been determined to get there and not stop for anything, but the sound of someone being sick was something one would normally pause at.  Wincing and feeling like she herself wanted to mimic the poor person's actions, she looked around for a man leaning over the ship's side. She found him not far away, his black overcoat billowing in the salty ocean breeze.  "Fredrick?" She slowly walked toward the man and placed a hand on his back.  "You all right?"

Fredrick took a deep breath and glanced up at her.  "Just a little sea sick, I'm afraid."  His eyes widened and he lurched over the side of the ship again. 

Scarlett looked away, focusing her attention on a small hole in the deck's flooring.  She could only hope Fredrick wasn't getting throw-up all over the side of Jack's ship.  Without turning around she patted Fredrick on the back, saying, "Better out than in, Fredrick."  She shook her head and walked toward the captain's quarters.  A scrawny man with blonde hair grabbed her by the arm, however, and nodded in Fredrick's direction.

"Wot's he doin' aboard, eh?" the man asked.

Scarlett looked at the man, remembering his name to be Jasper.  "He's a friend of mine; a physician.  He's a worthy addition to the crew," she said, defending her friend.

Jasper looked her over critically.  "I s'pose so, but what's a gentl'man like 'im doin' wit' th' likes of ye?"

Scarlett's eyes darkened.  "What?" she asked in a low voice.

The pirate, however, didn't seem to notice and rolled his eyes in annoyance.  "I said, wot's a gentl'man like 'im doin' wit-"

"I heard you the first time, dumbass," Scarlett glowered.  Her fists were itching to throw a punch at the man's pockmarked face.  "What I meant was what you were referring to with that comment.  Are you saying I'm not a lady?"

The anger in her eyes went unnoticed by Jasper, though the few pirates nearby that knew her personally, such as Anamaria, did.  Jasper chuckled to himself, looking Scarlett up and down again like she was an item being sold at the highest bid.  "Well, look'it ye," he said, as if that explained everything.  "Ye're a pirate, lass, cutlass an' all.  No proper lady with a gentl'man such as that would be dressed in such a fashion as ye are."  The man made to make another comment, but his jaw was abruptly clamped shut as a fist came flying at his jaw.  Scarlett glared at the man as he stumbled back against the bulkhead, clutching at his jaw.  He stared at her in shock.   "Ye hit me!" he exclaimed.

"And I'll do it again if you don't keep that big hole in your ugly face shut," Scarlett stated.  She looked him up and down, taking in his body structure; he would be easy to take down in a matter of minutes, she surmised. 

"Careful, Scarlett," Anamaria warned, coming up behind her female companion.  "Jasper may be small but don't be fooled," she whispered into the blonde's ear.  "I've seen 'im fight b'fore in a brawl at a pub in Tortuga.  'E's sly, that one."

Jasper pushed away from the wall and leered at Scarlett.  "Want to try that again, wench?" he taunted.  "And this time, don't take the chicken's way out and catch me unawares." 

"Careful," Anamaria warned again before backing away.

Scarlett chanced a quick glance at her dark-skinned mate before letting her hand travel to the cutlass strapped at her waist.  She looked Jasper over once more, hesitated, and removed her hand from the cutlass.  She shook her head.  "I'm not fighting you.  To do so would get both of us marooned on some island and there is no way I want to get stuck alone with you."

"Keep that sharp tongue of yers in yer mouth," Jasper growled.

A man standing close at hand to Jasper licked his lips and laughed.  "I know of somewhere else I would like that tongue to be," he said, staring at her with a smirk on his face.

Scarlett glared at him, shaking in anger.  Her fist flew back but someone from behind grabbed her wrist, preventing her from doing anything.  She came to a stop and looked over her shoulder.

Jack gave her a brief look before turning to the rest of the crew.  "Ye've all seen enough," he said.  "Get your arses back to work."  He waited until all the men standing around preparing for a fight had wandered away, grumbling, before he twisted Scarlett's arm so it was in the proper position and tugged her into his quarters after him.  She followed, staring up at the ceiling; she was going to get it this time.  She had lucked out when she had fought Anamaria.  This case, however, she was not hurt and was almost entirely to blame. 

Jack left her standing before the closed cabin doors while he went to a cupboard near the door and removed two flasks of rum.  He walked past her, shoving one into her hands, and dropped into his desk chair facing her.  When she continued to stand there with the flask of rum, he looked at her and motioned for her to take the seat opposite his desk.  Frowning, she did so and dropped into it with a loud bump of the flask against the dark wood.  She ran her fingers in circles along the outer edge of the cork, running a variety of phrases through her mind.  There was no way she was saying sorry to him, so that idea could be thrust out the window.

"You've only been back for one week," Jack spoke up, looking at her with a smile, "and yet you're already starting fist fights."  The amusement in his voice was apparent and the twinkle in his eyes gave him completely away.

Scarlett looked up at him.  "Are you making a joke of me, Jack?" she asked.

Jack's smile widened and he shrugged his shoulders, dipping his head back to take a long drink from his flask.  "Just stating a fact," he said, placing the half-empty flask on the desk.  He rested his elbows on it, leaning forward. 

Scarlett slammed her own flask of rum on the desk top and stood to her feet.  "I'm not going to sit here and listen to this."  She started for the door but spun around halfway to it, glaring at him.  "Did you hear what he said? And his friend too?"  She shook her head.  "I'm more of a lady than Anamaria ever will be, and if that guy wants me to put something in his mouth, I'll do it gladly, though I'm afraid it will taste a bit like metal and gunpowder."

"No need to get your skirts in a twist, love."  Jack stood to his own feet and came around his desk.  "I heard them well enough.  You were standing right outside my cabin doors.  I just figured you would wait two weeks or more until you started to cause trouble among my new crew."

"What happened to the old crew, anyway?" she asked.  "Anamaria, Gibbs, Cotton, and those two blokes with the messy hair are still here, Will too, but their other mates aren't."

Jack shrugged a shoulder.  "They all left.  We stayed in Marcail for so long most of them grew bored in such a high-tone port such as that.  I would of left too if I had been them."

"That place, Jack, is our home," she said, placing a hand on her hip.  "Unlike you I'm not so quick to forget it."  She sighed, looking up to the ceiling as if pleading for God's assistance.  "Why do I even bother with you?  You'll never get it."  She reached for the knob and pulled the door open.  It was slammed shut again as Jack's hand reached over her and pressed against it.  She stared at the door with a blank expression.  "Let me out, Jack."

"You were coming here before Jasper intercepted you," Jack said.  "Why?"

"You are my _captain_, aren't you?" she asked, stressing his proper title.  "I just wanted to see the notes you've taken on Ansgar's progress.  It is my son we're chasing after.  I have a right to know."

"You act as if he's only your son."

Scarlett turned and faced Jack, only to find his face was a mere few inches from hers.  "I'm sorry, but I failed to notice all the times that you were there when he scraped a knee, woke up from a nightmare, wanted a hug, wanted someone to tell him a story."

"You never gave me a chance."

"You left me for dead, Jack.  What, you expected me to jump on the first ship I could and chase after you?  I may be a stupid woman as I've heard so many men call me, but I am not a puppy that would come crawling after you.  And besides," she added, growing all the more defensive, "you never came after me, did you?  You never even so much as looked up my name to see if I was even alive.  You forgot about me.  Hell, you forgot about me long before that night even arrived."

"I didn't forget about you."

"Oh, right.  Why did you leave me, then?  I've never done anything to make you hate me, Jack.  Name one thing I'll never mention it again." 

Jack pulled away and went to his desk.  He paused and turned around on the heel of his foot.  "You are the most infuriating woman I have ever known," he erupted in a startling calm voice.  "And believe me, I have known enough women throughout my life."

"Such as Giselle and that other harlot who just happens to share my name?" Scarlett asked dryly.

Jack started, looking at her with narrowed eyes.  "How do you know of them?"

Scarlett shook her head, looking away.  "I had my reasons for being in Tortuga, Jack, and word of the many women you have wooed and bedded are told often around those parts.  You seem to be someone all the men there look up to, though why they would for a reason such as that goes beyond my understanding."

Jack seemed at a loss for words.  He sputtered about damned women and stupid logic, all of them running together.  Scarlett rolled her eyes, reaching behind her for the doorknob.  She could return later while he was at the helm and get the notes.  Sneaking in and maybe getting caught sounded far more appealing than staying in there arguing.   She paused, however, as a promise she had made not even a day before came to mind.She closed her eyes and knocked her head against the wooden doorframe. 

_I know I said I would give him one more shot, Aubri_, she thought,_ but it isn't easy.  How do you forgive a man who left you for dead?  _ No reply was given, and she felt alone.  _Fine.  Silence always did speak louder than words, didn't it?_ 

Scarlett knew what she needed to say but the two simple words just didn't want to come forward.  She struggled with it, her mind telling her no, but her heart, always contradicting, said yes.  She sighed and hit her head against the doorframe a second time.  "I'm sorry," she said just above a whisper.  Her eyes were closed again as she stood with her head resting against the door.

Jack stopped muttering to himself.  "What did ye say, lass?" he asked after a moments hesitation.

Scarlett opened her eyes and turned around, leaning her back against the door.  Her eyes went across the room to a map tacked to the wall.  Her lips twitched for a few moments as she fought to say the words again.  "I said;" she paused, taking a breath; "I'm sorry." 

The look on Jack's face was downright hilarious; Scarlett wanted to laugh but couldn't find the energy.  He opened his mouth, closed it, and took a bated breath.  "Sorry for what?" he finally asked, looking confused. 

"For snapping at you just now," she replied.  She hesitated, not wanting him to get the wrong impression.  "You didn't completely deserve it.  I made everything out to be worse than it really is."

Jack looked her over carefully as if he was expecting this to be a joke.  She wouldn't really be saying that to him if she were thinking straight.  Maybe her memory was going out again.  "Are you feeling all right?"

Scarlett rolled her eyes.  "Fine," she mumbled in exasperation.  "If you aren't going to accept the only apology you'll most likely ever hear from me that's fine, but don't expect me to say it again."  She ran a hand through her hair.  "Just let me see the appropriate map that you've drawn your course out on and I'll leave."  She walked toward his desk and waited for him to pass her the map. 

Jack snorted and shook his head with a small smile beneath his mustache.  "If anyone should be apologizin', love, it should be me, not you."  He came around the desk.  "Snapping at people is what you do; I don't think anything of it."

Scarlett cocked an eyebrow.  And he thought she was losing it? 

"Alright, fine," Jack said.  "How about we start anew, eh?" he suggested.  "Act as if the past never happened?"

Scarlett folded her arms across her chest.  "I can't forget the past, Jack," she said quietly.  "Though I may forgive you –in part," she added hastily, "the pain you caused is still there.  We can try a friendship again, but it won't be as it once was."

Jack looked almost hurt for a moment, but it soon evaporated and the cocky smirk reappeared.  "Agreed." 

Author's Note: Decided to stop there.  Well, how did I do?  I hope everyone thought the past chapter ran more smoothly after I edited it.  Sorry for that, I was just in a big hurry and my writing skills seemed to fly out the window.  So, about the chapter… It seems they've come to an agreement, but, as we all know, Scarlett doesn't so easily forget.  What will happen?  Only I can know.  wink  Leave me a review and I just might update another chapter.  gasp


	30. A Tale of Two Friends

Yes, Niko, there is a reason behind Jack's sudden dismal all those years ago.  Laughs The reason is really quite simply if you think about it, but I'm not about to reveal what it is to all of you because... well… It just ruins the point and my fun.  Keeping you guys guessing is one of the best parts of writing a story.  I love being an author.  cruel smirk   And on another quick note, please keep in mind that all the "port cities" you read about (other than Tortuga and Port Royal) are names I picked at random.  They aren't real ports of that time period.

Secrets of the Caribbean 

Written By: Riley Barton

[Chapter Twenty-Nine]

"His last stop was in Tortuga, correct?  And Ione before that?"  Scarlett looked at Jack, who nodded.  "Meaning he's stopping at every other port."  She looked back to the map of seaports and ran her finger along the outer coastline.  "So his next stop would be…"  Her finger came to a stop.  "In Morgane."  She brushed a strand of hair behind her ear.  "His last stop before reaching home," she whispered.

Jack looked at her.  "Home?  This damned scallawag actually has his own berth?"  He smiled wryly. 

Scarlett didn't respond to his comment.  "Port Venetia is where his ship makes berth, but his house is further inland.  He'll probably take Carver there."  She briefly closed her eyes and reached up to rub them.  "I just can't figure out why he would take Carver.  What purpose is there other than spite?  My past history with him, maybe?" she murmured aloud.

Jack gave her a quizzical look.  "You mean our past history with him."

"Hm?"  Scarlett looked up at him absently.  "Oh!  Yeah, sorry."  She looked back down to the map.

Jack's eyes narrowed.  There was something she wasn't telling him…

The cabin door swung open and Will strode inside.  "Oi, Jack, Gibbs needs your opinion on-" He stopped short and his eyebrows rose in surprise.  "The two of you are working together?  Without arguing?"

Scarlett rolled her eyes and Jack smirked.  "Don't wet your britches in shock, boy," he said.  "Even the Commodore gave me some time to escape quite a few months ago, and that was somethin' no one would 'ave ever expected."

Will shrugged.  "Point taken," he muttered. 

"Now what was it Gibbs needed me about?" Jack asked.

Scarlett ignored the two men conversing and tried to concentrate on the task at hand.   There was so much that just didn't make sense.  If anyone had wanted to emotionally harm her taking Carver was definitely the way to do that, and the time the kidnapping took place showed that hurting Jack may have also been part of Ansgar's plan.   Jack and Carver had gotten somewhat chummy.  She frowned and licked her lips absently.  Could this possibly be an act out of revenge for the gem she and Jack had stolen from him?  _The gem isn't worth this much trouble_, she thought in reply to her own theory.  _So if that's not it then it must be the past history between him and I.  Mother and Father had offended him somehow…_  Scarlett was so absorbed in her thoughts she never noticed when Jack and Will left the cabin. 

Jack flexed his grip on the rounded wooden pegs of the helm and briefly looked up to the wooden landing high above that served as the crow's nest.  He watched the still figure sitting up there with her hair blowing in the wind.  Scarlett had been up there since the sun had set hours ago, not paying any heed to anyone.  Anamaria had climbed up to talk with her, but had returned to the deck ten minutes after.  It seemed his childhood friend was too involved in her own mind to talk with anyone. 

"The kidnapping of her son must be hitting her pretty hard," Will Turner said, walking over to where Jack stood at the helm.  His eyes were staring up at the lone figure, as well.  He returned his gaze to Jack.  "You've been watching her for some time, Jack.  Go up and talk to her."

"If she didn't want Anamaria's company, then she won't be wanting mine," Jack replied, looking away from Scarlett. 

"I thought the two of you were getting along."

"We are, supposedly, but not much has changed."  He shrugged.  "But that was part of the agreement, wasn't it?  We'd be friends but not like we had been before."

Will hesitated.  "Why, if I may ask, did you leave her behind in Port Royal?"

Jack looked at Will from the corner of his eyes.  "What's it to you?"

Will shrugged.  "Curious."

Jack rolled his eyes and drummed his long fingers on the smooth wood beneath his hands.  "I'm not entirely sure."

Will snorted.  "That's a good reason."

 "It's none of your damn business, boy," Jack growled, glaring at the younger version of Bootstrap Bill.  "I've got my reasons, and I'll give you more than enough reasons why ye should leave it alone."

Will blinked in mild surprise before his eyebrows came together in a straight line.  Without another word he turned and walked away with an angry stride in his step. 

Jack watched him leave and go below deck.  He growled under his breath and yanked a compass from one of his coat pockets.  He stared at the compass and adjusted the helm so the _Pearl_ would be going in the right direction.  Unlike his other compass, this one pointed north, as a compass normally should.  His other one that pointed south was tucked away in a locked drawer hidden from view in his cabin.  He slipped the compass back into his pocket and glared at the ocean in the distance.  Subconsciously his eyes went up to Scarlett again.  _She's more trouble than she's worth_, he thought.

Scarlett leaned back and stared all around her with the ocean stretching as far as she could see.  Not a single strip of land was in sight and the dolphins frolicking in the water below gave the evening a tranquil feel.  She hadn't realized how much she had missed the gentle rocking of the ocean beneath her feet.  The life of a pirate wasn't an easy one, she knew, but being a sailor of the Fleet or an ordinary fisherman was not appealing.  So, she figured with resignation, the life of a pirate was all that was left.  As if she could do anything else, anyway.  The brand she had received from the East India Company banned her from doing anything but. 

"Want some company?"

Scarlett nearly jumped out of her skin when Fredrick spoke and stuck his head over the side of the crow's nest.  She closed her eyes and placed a hand over her heart as if to still it, smiling softly.  She opened her eyes and motioned for him to take a seat.  "Can't guarantee that I'll be good company," she apologized, "but you're welcome to stay."

Fredrick dropped down beside her and looked around.  "It is beautiful, isn't it?" he murmured.  He smiled at Scarlett.  "I see why you love it so much.  Did you grow up by it?"

Scarlett slowly nodded.  "I was close enough to smell the salt of the ocean and sometimes hear the waves."  She moved her index fingers in circles on her raised knee.  "Jack and I used to play on the beach all the time when we were younger."

Fredrick stilled with only the occasional blink.  "How long have the two of you been friends?" he asked quietly after a couple minutes of silence.

Scarlett shrugged.  "Since I was about six or seven, I suppose."  She noted the fact that Fredrick was waiting for her to continue.  She sighed resignedly.   "My life isn't a pretty story, Fredrick," she warned.

Fredrick took her hand and squeezed it, surprising Scarlett to the core.  "I'll still like you whether you have scars or not."

Scarlett refused to let the heart-felt comment get to her.  Fredrick hadn't been the first one to say something like that to her.  No matter the fact Fredrick was honest.  Jack was an honest man, too, but something about her had obviously rubbed him the wrong way.  She glanced down at their interlocked hands, trying to resist the feeling of discomfort rumbling around inside her.  In an effort not to be obvious, she removed her hand and used it to tuck her hair behind her ears.  "My parents loved each other," she started out.  "I was their pride and joy, always receiving their love and attention at all hours of the day.  My father would take me in his arms and spin me around, and my mother would let me help her make cookies to take to the people less fortunate than us.  My father's brother came over a lot, too, and he would always bring me little trinkets he would find on his many adventures on the ocean.  A sailor, he was."  She sighed.  "Then all of a sudden, things changed.  It was a couple months after my fifth birthday when my father started leaving every night, returning late, drunk.  My uncle came to visit two weeks after my father started drinking, and there was a big argument."  She shuddered in the wind, remembering the sound of their shouts and curses.  "I couldn't understand what they were saying, but I could hear my father and his brother shouting at one another; my mother was crying.  I fell asleep listening to their shouting.  After that nothing was the same."  She ran a hand through her hair.

"My father started beating my mother," she continued.  "Punching, kicking, sometimes cutting her with a knife he would secretly keep somewhere on his body.  He never hurt me until a year after his brother left.  I was six by then.  I was glad to leave the house every chance I could get.  No one dared help us for fear of my father coming after them."  Her eyes darkened.  "Damn bastards.  They knew what was going on in that house, they could hear my father shouting, but no one did anything.  Until I met Jack."  The last sentence was whispered.  "It had been on a Thursday afternoon.  My mother had left for the market and my father was at the nearest pub.  I had left the house and headed for the beach, wanting to be alone.  A group of six boys, three of which being the sons of aristocrats, came up behind me when I was sitting on the sand.  They bullied me for a short time, taunting me and calling me the daughter of a whore and a drunk.  One of the boys managed to punch me in the stomach before he got shoved from behind."  She couldn't help smiling at the memory.  "A boy with dark hair and brown eyes punched and kicked him until the boy beneath him was shouting for mercy.  The boy with dark hair was Jack.  He had known the boy who had thrown a punch at me.  Both of them were sons of aristocrats and their families often visited one another.  Jack taunted the other boys, daring them to attack him or me.  The other boys only had to take one glance at their bruised friend lying on the sand to know it would be only a fool who would take Jack Anderton on."

 "You know, of the two of you I would have seen you as the aristocrat before him.  You don't talk as a pirate would like Jack does, and yet he's the one with the socialite background."

Scarlett looked up at the moon above in the sky.  "Not only did Jack save me from those boys on the beach, but numerous times he saved me from my father's wrath.  He would always whisk me away to the beach or his own home on the cliff; you know the house I speak of."  Fredrick nodded.  "Jack's mother," Scarlett went on, "took me under her wing, so to speak, and treated me as her own daughter.  Jack had always resisted the aristocratic life, running in the streets and fighting with wooden swords.  I, on the other hand, wanted that life.  His mother Aubrianna noticed this and taught me everything.  Etiquette, how to speak, and even a couple hobbies of hers, like painting.  Jack hated the idea of me becoming a 'hoity-toity girl', I think was what he called it.  He would always try to pull me with him out to the beach where we would sword fight with these wooden swords he had carved from driftwood."

Fredrick couldn't help noting the smile on her face.  "So there are really two sides of you.  The aristocrat and the pirate."

Scarlett nodded.  "I guess so, though I'm more pirate than aristocrat.  Only my speech is somewhat that of a socialite."

Fredrick looked down to the helm where a lone figure stood.  He sighed and looked away.  He was a grown man and yet he was acting like a teenager.  "So," he said, clearing his throat, "how did you and Jack become pirates?"

Scarlett folded her arms across her chest and leaned back, staring up into the night sky.  "We ran away when we were sixteen.  I tried to convince him to leave when I was fifteen, but he decided to get smart on me and said we needed time to plan out everything.  Anyway, we bought passage on a ship going to Tortuga.  A rough place it was, especially for a girl of sixteen and a boy just over the age of seventeen.  Jack managed to find us a small inn that wasn't as rough as the others where we could stay for the next couple of months.  I worked at the bar downstairs while Jack worked at the wharf.  We left Tortuga almost five months after arriving and sailed for Port Royal.  Stayed there for an additional six months, but in a high-tone port like that there isn't much work for two kids.  So, we stowawayed on a ship called the M_arigold_.  We were caught two weeks out to sea when I was caught pilfering food from the galley.  The captain put us to work, and eventually, I think, became fond of us because he started to give us coins for our work. 

"By the time Jack was nearing nineteen he had become fond of the pirate life.  Being an ordinary merchant didn't sound fun enough for him, so he dragged me away and found us a place with a pirate fleet.  We stayed with them for two years, saving up our own money.  We grew tired of them and left, found another pirate fleet, and so on and so forth.  Basically, we eventually got enough of our own money to make us as wealthy as some of the highest aristocrats, if you would believe that.  Jack, however, became fond of rum and spent some of it on that.  He would have spent it all if I hadn't kept him at bay and had been keeping some hidden."

Fredrick nodded, not sure why he had even asked in the first place.  Knowing all this wasn't going to ease anything, so where was the point?  Besides, all she had told him had brought everything to one conclusion in his mind, and he didn't like it.

Scarlett looked at Fredrick out of the corner of her eye.  He looked as if he was fighting with something, and she knew it was over her.  Her life story was scaring him away, as she thought it might.  No one wanted to be around a pirate if they had always loathed them to begin with, and Fredrick's dislike toward Jack had been more than evident. 

"You love him, don't you?"

Scarlett's heart skipped a beat and her head snapped in Fredrick's direction.  "What?"

Fredrick looked at her.  "Jack.  You love him?"

Scarlett stared at him.  What was he trying to get at with that question?  She wanted to laugh, but merely shook her head.  She looked out to sea ahead of them.  She opened her mouth to tell him no, but something caught her eye.  She jumped to her feet and leaned away from the crow's nest, keeping a tight hold on the mast.  Her eyes slowly widened.  "Shit."  She grabbed a nearby rope and swung down, shouting to get Jack's attention at the helm.  He paused and looked at her with confusion.  A sudden wind had picked up and he couldn't hear what she was saying.  Frustrated, Scarlett sprinted up the steps and ran to his side.  "A reef, straight ahead," she gasped out.  "The _Pearl_ is heading straight for it!"

Authors Note:  Happy New Year, everyone!  Hope you enjoyed yourselves immensely!  Well, another year and another chapter, hope you guys enjoyed it.  I decided to give a bit more of Jack and Scarlett's background, so please excuse me if it was somewhat boring.  But, since the chapter seemed to have gone in that direction, I thought some action and a cliffhanger was needed.  grin  Don't forget to review, mates! Cheers!


	31. Apples and Dolphins

Yes, I am a rather stubborn git, PaL.  Most of my friends ignore me, so you can just do the same.  –wink-  Anyway (for anyone reading this) I am still in need of a new title for this story.  I won't change it until the story is complete so I don't confuse everyone reading it, but suggestions would be most helpful for future reference.  Another thing: I wasn't too certain whether cards had been created during the 17th century or not, so if they weren't, please choose to ignore the fact that some of the pirates are playing poker. –smile-

Secrets of the Caribbean 

Written By: Riley Barton

[Chapter Thirty]

Anamaria placed her cards flat out on the table and smiled gloatingly.  "I believe the flagon is mine, boys," she purred, holding out a hand for the flagon of rum that had been placed in the center of the rough wooden table.

The six men gathered around the table glared at the cards spread out before her.  Bard, a pirate missing his left thumb, grudgingly pushed the flagon in her direction.  "Women are bad luck," he grumbled. 

Anamaria glared at him.  "If women are bad luck, then why do I 'ave th' flagon, eh?" 

Suddenly the flagon lurched to the left, followed abruptly after by the table and all its occupants.  Anamaria growled in surprise as she was thrown to the ground.  The flagon crashed onto the ground beside her, splashing her in the sweet liquid.  "What the 'ell is goin' on?" she shouted, feeling her body shift as the ship lurched again.  Getting no response other than grumbles and moaning, she grabbed the leg of a man getting to his feet, pulled him back down, and used him as leverage to get to her own feet. 

Anamaria staggered down the narrow corridor in a hurried frenzy.  She ran her hand down the wall as she went until she reached the ladder.  She clambered up and shoved the grate covering it to the side.  Pulling herself up and out, she rolled to the left, knocking some coiled rigging into the foaming ocean. "Jack!" she shouted angrily.  She crawled to her feet and took two steps, but didn't get any further.  The starboard side of the _Black Pearl_ had, seemingly, struck something, and the jolt had knocked Anamaria off her feet again.  Her body rolled as the ship moved to the left in an effort to avoid colliding with whatever it was a second time.  She didn't stop rolling until she bumped into the railing.  The center of her back hit a rung and the momentum knocked her head backwards and out over the side of the ship.  Salty spray came up to meet her, bathing her in it.  She sputtered, reaching for a handhold.  A hand grabbed her shirt and pulled her away from the bulwark and safely onto the deck.  Anamaria wiped the water from her eyes and tried to see the face of whoever it was, but the salt from the water was stinging her eyes and she was forced to close them.

 Above the main deck, Scarlett grabbed a piece of rigging flying in the wind and jumped on top of the bulwark.  Her boots gripped the railing as she leaned out over the ship's side, holding tightly to the rope -her lifeline, so to speak. Below in the frothing ocean the reef was grazing the _Pearl's _right side, cutting into the wood; she could hear the ship groaning.  The salty ocean water washed over her, drowning her from head to foot.  Scarlett reached up and wiped her wet hair back from her face, straining to see, just as the _Pearl_'s hull was scraped against a larger section of the reef.  Her boots slipped off the railing and, with a sharp cry of surprise, she latched tighter onto the rope she held in her hands.  The rope swung her out over the ocean below before swinging her back over the _Pearl_'s railing.  Not particularly wanting to have another flight over the ocean, she let go of the rigging and dropped to the deck.  Her body curled into a ball, causing her to roll until she bumped into something. 

"Scarlett, you all right?"

Scarlett nodded, chuckling in a crazy manner.  If she hadn't been so frightened of drowning, that would have been an exhilarating experience.  A hand reached down to help her up and she thankfully took it.  She evenly spread her feet so she had a stable foothold on the slippery deck.  "Thanks, Fredrick."  She smiled. 

"Whatcha tryin' t' do, lass, scare the bleedin' hell outta us?" Anamaria snapped.  She, too, was wet to the skin.

Scarlett laughed.  "I didn't mean to do that, I assure you."  She slapped Anamaria on the shoulder and made her way to the bulwark, slipping and sliding as she went.  She grabbed it and leaned over the edge, daring fate yet again, and let out a shout of jubilation.  The _Black Pearl_ was pulling away from the reef.

A time later the _Pearl _was brought to a halt as men from the crew swung down over the starboard side to survey the damage done.  Scarlett and Anamaria, still wearing their wet clothes, sludged with squeaking footsteps across the deck to the helm of the ship where Will and Jack stood together. 

Will looked at them and laughed.  "The two of you look like drowned rats."

Scarlett scowled.  "Yes, and it would appear you don't even have a speck of salt on your clothing.  Where were you during the whole thing?  Hiding under your bunk below deck?"

Anamaria gave Jack a once over.  "If anyone looks like a drowned rat 'tis him with his drippin' locks an' all."

Scarlett smirked.  "Jack, you're face-paint is running."  She snorted as she tried to hold back the laughter bubbling up inside her.  After her trip over the ocean she had become somewhat giddy. 

Jack reached up and wiped away the kohl that had smeared across his face.  "Bloody stuff," he grumbled, wiping the excess on his breeches.  He looked at Anamaria and pointed a bejeweled finger at her.  "An' by the way, missy, it's Captain Jack Sparrow t' ye.  Remember that."

Anamaria feigned a salute and walked off to help the men with the repairs. 

"Guess I better go change, then," Scarlett muttered, looking down at herself. 

Jack smiled in amusement.  "Why?  You're quite nice to look at all wet, especially with the way your clothes cling to you just right."  He saw the fist coming before she even flexed a finger.  Ducking to the left, he stood behind Will, holding onto the younger man's shoulders.  He peered over Will's shoulder and grinned at her. 

Scarlett glowered at him, her fists itching to wipe that grin off his face.  "Just you wait, Sparrow," she growled. "I'm not finished with you yet."  She turned and walked away, trying to ignore Jack's uproarious laughter as the squeaking from the water in her boots mingled with his laughter in a melodious fashion.

In her cabin, Scarlett shredded off the wet clothes and changed into a dry pair of breeches and a white billowing shirt she hadn't seen before.  After putting the shirt on, however, she realized it was many sizes too big.  She didn't think of it long for she undid the lower button and tied the shirt about her mid-drift.  With her boots as useless as they were, she grabbed them and walked above deck bare-footed.  She set them next to a crate in the sun where they would dry hopefully by the next morning, though she doubted it. 

She found Fredrick in the midst of the crew helping to haul the rigging up.  She paused with a smile on her face as one of the other men –she couldn't recall his name- started talking amiably to him.  _At least he seems to be getting along with some of the men_, she thought.  It was then that Fredrick noticed her and flashed her a smile.  She waved in return.

"Oy, Scarlett, we could use a hand over here!" Anamaria called from Scarlett's left.

 Anamaria and five other crewmembers were hauling on some ropes as they tried to pull their crewmates aboard deck.  Scarlett went over and grabbed the section of rope behind a scrawny man who didn't seem to be doing any help.  She put all her strength into it, and with all efforts combined the rowboat, which held the four men making the repairs, was pulled aboard. 

Repairs lasted for an hour after until Jack deemed it worthy enough to move onward.  The members of the crew on duty went to their posts while others returned below deck to talk and sleep.  Anamaria and Fredrick joined the latter.  While Jack remained at the helm, Scarlett and Will roamed the deck.

Scarlett folded her arms across her chest as they walked in companionable silence, looking about at the surrounding ocean and the crewmembers going about their duty.

"No matter how long I'm on a ship," Will commented, "I can never seem to get over how efficiently everyone works together.  They're all one body moving together to keep the ship in working order and at a good, fast pace.  When danger strikes, once again, they move as one, all knowing their part in the battle."  He shook his head while watching a man tighten a line of rigging. 

Scarlett nodded in mild understanding.  "For the most part," she consented.  "It really depends on the type of crew you have.  Not all crew's are as worthy as the ones Jack seems to find.  This one," she motioned above; "isn't exactly all together as you describe, but they can work together if the need arises.  Every bushel of apples is going to have one or two spoiled ones.  It's just a part of the package."

Will looked at her from the corner of his eye.  "Seems to me that could, in a way, be related to a human being.  As you said, every bushel of apples has at least two spoiled ones.  Same goes for you and I.  Now go with me here: Every person has many qualities and traits, correct?  But you can't expect every trait to be a perfect apple.  Some of them are going to have soft spots, some will be spoiled or rotten, and some will be perfect." 

Scarlett couldn't resist a small smile.  "Since when have you become a poet, Mr. Turner?" 

Will shrugged.  "Wasn't what I would call poetry-like.  I was just stating a fact of life."

"I understand what you're trying to tell me, Will."  Scarlett stopped and turned to face him.  "And I have forgiven him, in part."

"Then how is it you treat him as if you haven't?"  He hesitated.  "Jack may not be so quick to admit it, but I think he's hurting.  From what it sounds like the two of you were quite the pair, never without the other."

She sighed.  "You sound like Aubrianna.  She used to tell me nearly the same thing while I was living with her, before I met up with Jack again.  I do understand what the two of you are and were saying, but it isn't as easy as saying a few words."

"Just give him another chance."

"I am," she answered.  "I promised Aubri that much."  She fingered a strand of long, damp blonde hair, twirling it around her index finger.  A splash over the side of the ship drew her attention and she walked to the bulwark, leaning over.  She smiled upon seeing two dolphins swimming and jumping alongside the _Pearl_.  "It would seem my friends are back," she said absently, looking at Will.  He was smiling, watching the dolphins play.  "Sometimes I wish we could be as free as that."  Scarlett sighed.  "They seem so happy and playful all the time, no worries; but then I think and realize that they're like us in more ways than one.  They've got sharks and other larger ocean life after them and nets from fishermen to look out for.  They can get trapped, just like us."

"Now whose the poet?" Will teased.

Scarlett smiled easily.  "You started it," she returned.  Taking a step back from the bulwark, she glanced over her shoulder.  "I'm going below.  I'll see you around, Will."

"See you."  Will watched until she faded from sight before looking down toward the dolphins again.  The two dolphins jumped simultaneously before fading beneath the ocean's surface.  They didn't surface again. 

Author's Note:  Ducks and hides Terribly sorry, guys!  Continues to hide I know it's been 29 days since I last posted (nearly a month) and now that I have posted the next chapter it is so short!  I really am sorry!  Even though I'm still on A Johnny Depp fan craze, my POTC craze seemed to die down for a little while.  It only recently came back again.  But, what am I doing hiding here, making up excuses? 

To those of you who reviewed, I thank you so much, as well to all of my new reviewers.  For those of you who gave me advice, I thank you for that as well.  To clear some things up, though: 1) Fredrick plays an important part later, so the amnesia thing isn't something I threw in for the Hell of it and 2) Scarlett was the look-out and she was preoccupied with talking to Fredrick (not to mention it was evening) so that's why she didn't see the reef until it was a bit late.  Yes, I agree it seems I am fishing for action, and I will admit to that in part.  I will try to do better on that, I just don't want anyone to get bored.

So anyway, I know this chapter is short and not too much is going on, but would you all be so kind as to review anyway?  I would deeply appreciate it.  Hugs to everyone!


	32. Escaping It All

Yes, dolphins and apples.  I decided to go past the ordinary and relate life to apples and dolphins.  Hehe.  I'm not an ordinary person, so all of my 'deformities' -please ignore. Cheeky grin 

!!!!NOTE!!!!! As someone pointed out a long time ago, I've got my time line screwed up.  Barbossa had the Pearl for ten years, whereas I had made it to where he only had it for eight.  From this chapter onward, it has been changed to the correct time of ten years.  I will go back to the other chapters later and fix the problem, but for now just keep the 'time change' in mind as you read.

JeanieBeanie33: I have an odd way of looking at life.  The apple idea was something I thought of randomly.    
SuzzieQue: Yes, I had an enjoyable holiday.  Too bad it's over.  I apologize again for the length.  I just felt as if I had to get something up there.  I promise the chapter will be longer, even if it takes five years for it to be long enough.  
emma436:  thank you for your support!  The line 'your story rocks' jut makes me feel so good about myself.  Thank you!

Lilitaliandragon:   Is cute a good thing?  looks doubtful  You say that often and I'm never sure how to take it.  laughs

Lightbulb-89: Thank you for the compliment!  I'm glad you enjoy my writing.  If no one did I don't know what I would do!  As for the dolphins… I really don't know how to answer that.  I have a way of putting stuff in a story for no reason and then, later, it means something, so keep an eye out and maybe I'll surprise myself!

Abbienormal182:  My buddy!  What's up, girl?  Haha, anyway, thank you for the mistake note.  I wasn't sure about it myself, so I left it.  I'll have to look it up later.  I'm glad I'm not the only one who seems to have lost the POTC love bug.  Hopefully it'll come back soon!

kaisparrow: I'm glad you like it!  I love getting responses like that.  I've been getting some negative reviews lately, so this was a huge encouragement.  Thank you!

KT: almost cried three times… wow… Once again, thanks for your encouragement.  Compliments always make me a happy camper.  smile

Lip Balm: Thank you for the compliment.  I thrive off them.  As for your questions, I can't exactly answer because I don't want to spoil my fun.  You can ask away, it doesn't bother me, but I can't promise I'll give you a direct answer.

iluvrumandjohnnydepp: Wow… I'm your favourite author?  One of the grandest compliments a person could ever receive.  Thank you so much!  I'm sorry you were disappointed with the last chapter.  Hopefully this one you'll like better. 

Secrets of the Caribbean

Written By: Riley Barton

[Chapter Thirty-One]

_The smoke was a dark grayish-black hovering around him as he stumbled down the narrow hallway to the rickety staircase at the end. The fire had spread fast; faster than he had planned, at any rate.  He had set the fire at the top of the three-story building only to find that the fire had beaten him to the second floor.  "Damn," he growled as he ran his shoulder through the shut door.  He lurched into the staircase banister, clutched it with ringed-fingers, and hurried down the steps.  The smoke chased after him, threatening to suffocate him in the process.  He reached the first floor and dashed out of the stairwell, closing the door behind him.  The smoke began to seep in through the crack at the bottom.  "To Hell with this."  He went down the hall quickly, glancing into rooms as he passed.  "Where the blazes did she go?" he grumbled.  _

_Thundering footsteps came from the bend at the end of the corridor.  He looked up in time to be bowled over by a sprinting blonde.  "Shit!"  The two collided, falling to the floor._

_"Fancy meetin' you here," Jack said sarcastically, grabbing the woman's arm and yanking her to her feet.  "So did ye get it?"_

_Scarlett glared at him as she gathered her bearings.  "Yes, I got it."  She pulled her arm away.  "Now can we get out of here?"  Smoke was starting to fill up the corridor.  "The fire you started traveled down the walls so fast that now the main part of the tavern is engulfed in flames and smoke!"_

_"How was I t' know this place was a tinderbox waitin' t' be lit?" Jack returned, flinging his arms out.  "I ain't a fortune teller."_

_Scarlett rolled her eyes and started for the stairwell behind Jack.  He grabbed her arm.  "Oh no, ain't goin' that way.  We go this way."_

_Jack and Scarlett hurried down the corridor, breathing in quick gasps so as not to inhale the smoke that was starting to fill up.  They barged through a door, taking them into the kitchen, and headed for the door at the back.  As Jack was pulling open the door, Scarlett noticed a small figure hiding in a corner.  She pulled away from Jack and moved forward to get a closer look.  Her eyes widened as she realized the figure was a small girl.  She held her hand out.  "Come on out of there.  It isn't safe for you to stay in this building.  It's going to go up in flames before long."_

_"Scarlett!" Jack shouted from the doorway._

_She glanced back at him for a quick second before trying to beckon the girl again.  "Please, trust me.  I only want to help."_

_The girl looked at her and shifted, as if about to move.  "Where's daddy?" the girl, who couldn't be a day over eight, asked meekly.  _

_Scarlett's heart went out to the girl.  "I promise we'll find your daddy, but only after we get out of here."_

_The girl hesitated again, wasting precious seconds, before taking Scarlett's hand and crawling out from under the table.  Scarlett held tight to the girl's hand and followed an exasperated Jack out into a dark alley.  The trio went to the right, following the sound of the ocean.  Jack and Scarlett, however, were moving at such a fast pace that the smaller girl couldn't keep up.  Scarlett slowed, picked the girl up, and began running again.  She and Jack came out of the alley and into a street lined with houses.  Scarlett stopped before a home with a candle burning in the window and set the child down on the doorstep.  She knocked harshly on the door, waiting impatiently.  Jack was sending her ardent death glares as he continued to look furiously about.  If those other pirates caught them…_

_The door opened and an elderly woman stood at the door.  She looked curiously at the girl before looking to Scarlett.  She appeared startled at Scarlett's apparel and about shut the door.  "Please, wait."  Scarlett held the door open.  "I bid you no harm.  A building is on fire one street over and I managed to bring this girl out and to safety.  She can't stay with me, however, so I was wondering if you would be so kind as to help her find her parents?  I would do so myself but I'm in quite a fix at the moment and am unable to do so."_

_The woman hesitated.  "How do I know this isn't a trick?"_

_Scarlett groaned in impatience.  "Look."  She dug a bag of coins from her pocket, placed them in the girl's hands, and ushered her into the house.  "There are some coins to pay for your trouble."  She flashed a smile at the girl before disappearing into the shadows._

_Jack latched onto her wrist and pulled her down the street after him.  "If we get caught by Ansgar and his cronies, Scar, I swear-"_

_"We won't," Scarlett managed to spit out.  They passed through another alley and into the next street._

_"There they are!"_

_Scarlett and Jack jumped at the angry shout, their heads swiveling in that direction._

_"Run!" Jack shouted, and the two dashed off down the street for the wharf._

Jack leaned his head back against the bulkhead, using it as a headrest.  He couldn't sleep.  Thoughts of the past had been haunting him as of late and they wouldn't seem to leave.  For the past three nights he had hardly slept at all, battling memories, the weather, and that reef two days before.  Will had noticed and had taken over some of the duties for a temporary time and, in an unlike Jack manner, the pirate captain had allowed him to.  In the past he would have been defiant and resisted the offer of help, but even he understood his limits. 

Shoving the blankets back he stood to his feet and pulled on his pants and a shirt.  His boots came on last; his hat remained on the bedside table. 

The crescent moon shone brightly, casting a curved light onto the _Pearl_'s deck.  He looked around, taking in Will standing at the helm, the two men up in the crow's nest, and a sentry wandering the deck.  Jack nodded at the latter, making his way to the bulwark.  Not wanting to be around anyone, he walked to the furthest end of the ship where he could stand at the railing and not be bothered.  He stood there with his legs firmly planted and spread apart with his arms folded, staring out to sea. 

This was where he belonged, on his ship, sailing for a destination that would lead him to adventure.  That was how it was supposed to be: a pirate captain at his peak, looting to his hearts content, and searching for deadly adventures that would make any aristocrat's toes curl.  That was the way of it all; take what you can and give nothing back.

"Can't sleep either?"

Jack jumped in a comical way, spinning around on the heels of his boots.  He frowned, barely noticing a figure draped in darkness sitting with their back against a wooden crate.  The figure uncrossed their long legs from an Indian-style position and crossed them at the ankles; he could hear the rustle of their shirt as the person folded their arms across their chest.  He looked down and studied the boots; they were a female's.  He sighed and leaned back against the bulwark.  "And what's got ye up at this late of night?" he asked leisurely. 

"Thoughts and ideas," came the unhurried reply.  She sounded sad, full of longing, and worry all at once.  "You?"

Jack shrugged, turning back around to face the ocean.  "Too much on me mind."  He heard the woman get to her feet and her boots sound on the wooden deck.  She rested her elbows on the bulwark and leaned on them, tilting her head to the side as if in thought. 

Neither of them said a word after that.  No words were needed.  The two just simply stood there, each in their own thoughts.  An hour past before Scarlett backed away.  With a glimmer of a smile she faded into the shadows from whence she came. 

Their midnight rendezvous' continued throughout the following two weeks.  Most times neither said a word to the other.  They would simply stand at the railing, thinking.  Knowing someone else was there, just their presence was enough, and slowly, the silence began to heal.

_"The two of you lied to me!  Went behind my backs and… and did _this_!"_

_Scarlett shuddered at her father's angry shout, shrinking away from the door where she had been peering through the crack, listening.  Crawling onto the small cot, she curled up into a ball and clutched her small doll named Sara to her.  She closed her eyes and willed the voices to disappear.  The voices were merely a loud hum, all the words running together forming something indiscernible, but the tones of their voices spoke volumes._

_"If you had acted more like a man all those years ago then maybe this wouldn't have happened," her father's brother shouted in equal volume.  "You've always been there for her, sure, but you were never a real man.  Suck it up big brother, and maybe then you'll get somewhere."_

_"I have done nothing except provide for that witch!" Something made of glass shattered against a wall. "She's lived off of what I bring in, and this is how she repays me?  By throwing herself at you!?"_

_"Marshall, please-" Scarlett's heart leapt at her mother's quivering voice.  She sounded so afraid._

_"I'm not listening to you.  You're nothing but a thieving whore.  Spending my money while sleeping with my own brother!"_

_"Things just got out of hand," her mother tried again.  "I didn't feel like you loved me anymore, so I went to him.  I never meant for anything to come from it-"_

_"To Hell with that idea, Julia."  Marshall was pacing now, and Scarlett could almost imagine the anger in his eyes.  She had seen him mad before, and it had frightened her.  "Life doesn't work as we want it to.  You should have thought about the consequences before you slept with him."_

_"Marshall, calm down."  _

"No, I will not calm down.  As my brother you should have never even thought of it."  He spat on the floor at his brother's feet.  "I curse the day you were born."

Her hands appeared white in the glow of the fading moonlight as her hands gripped the bulwark tightly.  She felt as if she were about to fall over the edge, that the railing was the only thing saving her.  If she let go for even a moment she would topple over and be lost to Davey Jones Locker. 

"It's just your mind playing tricks on you," she told herself, forcing herself to loosen her fingers.  "Just your mind."  Her hands shakily let go of the bulwark and hovered in the air above it.  She hadn't fallen; she was still standing on the deck.  Although her heart was pounding, she was relieved. 

Scarlett stood alone on the deck of the _Black Pearl_.  She was the one at the helm that night and, after wanting to take a break, had tied the helm with a spare line of rigging to keep the ship on course and had wandered the deck.  She now stood on the port side, watching the dark waves lap against the hull.  The moon was gone behind the wispy clouds, leaving the deck a dark, forbidding hole.  Shaking her mind free of visions of ghosts and other cruel villains, she strode across the deck to the helm.  She looked far calmer than she felt on the inside. 

Scarlett removed the rope from the helm and gripped the wooden pegs with both hands, liking the feel of the wood against her skin.  She smiled faintly, remembering when she had used to stand behind the helm every day, swapping times intervals with Jack.  She had first gripped the helm of a ship when she had been twenty-three, just a week after her birthday…

_"Can I open my eyes yet?"_

_"No, not yet."  Jack continued to lead her across the wharf in Port Nassau with one hand gripping hers while the other was on the small of her back, leading her.  "Almost there.  Step up."  The flooring beneath her feet started going upward until she stepped down onto a level floor.  _

_"How about now?"  Scarlett smiled, wanting to open her eyes and see where he was taking her, but she had given her word she wouldn't do so until he told her to._

_"Impatient, aren't you?  Okay, there's twelve steps in front of ye; be careful."_

_Scarlett slowly walked up the steps, fumbling.  Jack held her up, always there if she started to fall.  They reached the top and Jack steered her to a certain spot.  "Give me yer other hand."  Holding both of her hands in his, he placed them around two pegs, wrapping her fingers around them.  "Open yer eyes."_

_Scarlett's eyes opened, widening to the size of saucers.  "Holy Mother of God," she whispered, backing up a step.  She looked in every direction, taking it all in.  She stood at the helm of a beautiful ship, richly crafted.  Crisp, white canvas sails were furled perfectly, the floorboards were glistening in the morning sun from a recent scrub, and all the rigging was swinging in the breeze playfully.  _

_"She's ours," Jack said with a broad grin on his face.  He swung his arms out, gesturing to the ship in its entirety.  "We own 'er, Scarlett.  The _Black Pearl_ is all ours."_

_Scarlett stared at him as if in shock.  "Ours?"  She shook her head in disbelief.  _

_"Aye."  It was easy to see Jack was all too proud of her.  "Some captain was sellin' her. She was a bit beaten up and part of her figurehead was missin', but once I got her fixed up she was perfect."_

_"I can't believe this.  How did you afford it without using the money I've been saving for later?"_

_Jack grinned and winked devilishly.  "I have my secrets."_

_Scarlett laughed and shook her head, looking around at the ship again.  "I don't care how you got the money.  She's perfect."_

_"We leave tomorrow," Jack said, going behind her and wrapping his arms around her waist.  "We've got a world to explore and people to pilfer from."_

_"What about a crew?" she asked logically, still trying to take everything in.  "We can't sail this by ourselves."_

_"Done.  Everythin' is set and ready to go.  The crew will be comin' in the mornin'.  They're a right bunch of scallawags, but they'll do."_

_Scarlett playfully pinched his arm and leaned back against him.  "Thank you, for everything."_

_She could almost hear the smile in his voice.  "I'm only doin' what a friend should, love.  No need to be thankin' me.  Just you being here is thank you enough."_

"We're a right pair of dreamers, aren't we, love?"

Scarlett jumped back a step from the helm as if she had been stung.  Jack's hand flew out and caught the wheel before it began spinning, knocking the _Black Pearl_ off course. 

"Didn't mean to startle ye," Jack apologized with a small, quirky smile.

"I was just thinking," she replied and picked up the discarded line of rope and slipped the noose around the topmost peg on the wheel. 

"A bit jumpy, too."

She ran her fingers through her hair, frowning when they caught on a knot.  "Damn wind," she grumbled, blaming it for the state of her hair.  She looked up and noticed Jack's confused expression; there wasn't a wind blowing.  She chuckled a little and shook her head.  "Never mind."

Jack shrugged it off and walked his fingers across the helm.  "How long have we had her now?" he asked absently, looking at her from the corner of his eye.

Scarlett couldn't help thinking that he somehow knew what it was she had been thinking about before he interrupted her.  "Nearly thirteen years," she replied, folding her arms across her chest. 

Jack smiled crookedly.  "Ah, that's right.  Thirteen long years spent with this ol' beauty."  He paused, looking at Scarlett openly.  She knew what he was thinking.  She had only been with the _Pearl_ for two years and ten months before Jack had left her behind at Port Royal, not to mention that ten of those thirteen years the _Black Pearl_ had been under Barbossa's command.  "Guess it ain't that long after all, then," Jack said just above a whisper.

Scarlett sighed.  "Doesn't really matter."  She hesitated.  "Can't change our decisions in the past, but there's always ways of making up for them in the future."  What was she saying?  She blinked, trying to figure it out herself.  Jack's expression was equally surprised. 

"Land ho!"

The shout came from above, causing both Scarlett and Jack to jump.  They looked to one another before springing into action.  Jack grabbed the telescope and joined Scarlett at the bulwark, peering through the glass pieces in the direction the lookout was giving him currently.  It was night, so he couldn't see the distinct outline of the land, but there were lights twinkling in the distance spread across a wide expanse; there were no way the lights were lanterns from other ships.  He passed Scarlett the telescope, letting her look through it.  She did, soon after returning it to him. 

"Do you think its Port Morgane?" she whispered to him.

Jack nodded.  "We past Maitea some days ago.  It's Morgane."

Scarlett tried to calm her breathing.  "Do you think he's there?" she finally asked.

"I wouldn't bet on it," he replied dispiritedly.  "We've been set back a'couple o' times.  He wouldn't 'ave spent more 'an a day or two there."

Scarlett nodded her agreement.  "You're probably right.  Might as well stop in and pick up more supplies.  Better be safe than sorry.  Besides, we may be able to pick up some information from the people there."

Jack nodded and went to the helm.  "Tell the crew t' get out here and get ready t' pull in."

The following hour was full of hustle and bustle.  Jack barked out commands like a true captain, and the crew followed like sheep would their shepherd.  Anamaria and Fredrick worked together as one, and Will gave a helping hand wherever he could.  Scarlett stood near Jack, watching the lights get closer.  She was itching to get off the ship and start asking questions at the local pubs. 

The _Black Pearl_ docked at the wharf and a plank was lowered to the dock.  Jack gave out orders, having the crew disperse in pairs to bring in different supplies.  None of this stop would be spent on rum and women; there was business that needed to be dealt with swiftly.  Jack left Will in control of the ship, with the help of Fredrick, and he and Scarlett set out for the pubs. 

The first pub they came to brought up nothing.  Either Ansgar and no one in his crew had gone there, or everyone was keeping their mouths shut.  The second gave little information other than that a rough-looking man with limp dark hair had walked in, drank whiskey and rum for an hour with two of his mates, and then walked out.  The last place they tried further inland, however, gave them some helpful information.

Jack walked in first, his presence drawing the eyes of all within.  Some knew who he was and shouted cheerily at him, calling for him to join them for some rum.  He looked back at Scarlett, who nodded, and followed him to the table.  Two chairs were pulled up and the two pirates sat down.

Rum was passed around, and Jack drank half of his mug before venturing a question.  "Has anything strange happened as of late?"  Scarlett watched the men's reactions carefully; a mug of rum sat before her, not a single drink taken from it. 

One of the men, an older man with graying hair, slowly nodded.  "Aye, mate.  Jus' two days ago there were a loud ruckus.  Pirates runnin' ever' which way, it seemed, searchin' fer a runt that 'ad gone loose."

Another man jumped in.  "Aye, some pirate, Oi ferget 'is name, barged in 'ere askin' if anyone 'ad seen a boy.  'E said th' boy were da son o' a mate of 'is an' that if'n he nev'r found 'im his mate would'a ne'er forgivin 'im."

Scarlett leaned forward.  "Was the boy found?" she asked, tying not to sound eager.  Only one of the four men gave her a wary look.  

"Aye, th' boy were found," the first man, who seemed to be all too anxious to talk, spoke again.  "Don't really know what 'appened t' 'im.  All Oi's know is that thur be alotta shoutin' aft'r awhoile an' then th' ship left, or so me mate says.  'E's the one 'oo followed the pirate after 'e left 'ere."

Jack nodded, swallowing the rest of his rum.  "Well, thanks for the drink's, boys," he said, "but me and Scarlett better be going.  Was nice talkin' to all of ye again."

The youngest of the men, whom had given Scarlett the wary look, raised an eyebrow.  "What's the hurry?  Ye've got all night."

Jack shook his head with a smile, grabbing Scarlett's arm and gently helping her to her feet.  "Sorry, mates, but we don't.  We'll stop by another time."

Without being obvious, Jack and Scarlett quickly left the pub and made their way to the wharf.  After they were a couple streets away, Scarlett looked up at Jack anxiously.  "Carver escaped?  The very idea is almost impossible."

"I s'pose he's more like us than we thought," Jack replied with a satisfied grin.

Scarlett shook her head.  "I don't even want to think of what Ansgar did to him after they caught him again."

Jack lazily draped an arm around her shoulders.  "Don't worry 'bout it.  Carver's a strapping young lad.  He can take care of himself, and besides, he did us some good.  His escapin' must have put Ansgar and his mates behind, meanin' we have a better chance of catching up."

"It isn't a lot of time, but it might just be enough," Scarlett relented. 

Will and Fredrick met them at the top of the gangway.  "The two of you have been gone for nearly three hours," Will said in exasperation.  "We were starting to think something had gone wrong."

Jack ignored him.  "Have all the supplies been loaded?" he asked.

Fredrick answered, "Almost all of them.  The last two crates are being stored as we speak."

"Good.  Tell them to hurry up.  The faster we get out of here the faster we catch up to the _Cobra_."

Fredrick went below while Will and Scarlett pulled up the gangplank. 

The _Black Pearl_ set sail half an hour later with Jack at the helm.  Scarlett stood at the bulwark, watching Morgane fade away into the distance.  The sun was rising behind her, casting a warm glow against her back.  The warmth seemed to sink into her skin and warm her heart.  They were catching up, and it wouldn't be long before Ansgar came face to face with his maker.

A/N: What a crappy way to end the chapter. Drums fingernails on the table No bother for it.  Well, the chapter is somewhat longer than the last and had more of a point to it.  Hope you enjoyed it, and don't forget to review!


	33. Family Secret

Thank you for the reviews and encouragement!  They boost up my spirits so much you guys can't even imagine.  To answer a couple of questions, though: 1) The only other people who know Carver is Jack and Scarlett's son is Frederick, Will and Elizabeth, and Anamaria and Gibbs, maybe some others too, I've got to figure it all out though; and 2) the reason I still say Elizabeth _Swann_ is because she and Will aren't married yet.  Doesn't mean that they won't though.  smile

Secrets of the Caribbean

Written By: Riley Barton

[Chapter Thirty-Two]

"Anamaria says we should be arriving in Venetia within the next three days."

Scarlett looked up from her book at Fredrick's words and found him standing in the open doorway.  She nodded, returning her gaze to the book.  She marked her place and set the book aside.  She smiled and motioned for him to join her.  He closed the door behind him and sat down on a chair near the bed.  "Anamaria says, hm?" Scarlett raised an eyebrow and leaned back against the headboard.  "Not Will or Jack?"

"She heard from Jack that we were," he replied.

Scarlett's smiled broadened.  He didn't know what she was trying to get at.  "I see.  So, you've been spending most of your time with the crew?  Everything isn't as bad as you first thought, is it?"

Fredrick hesitated.  "The sanitation could be better," he said honestly, "and the food isn't all that wonderful…"

Scarlett chuckled and waved a dismissive hand in the air.  "Spoken like a true physician.  Forget I even asked."  She began twirling a strand of hair around her finger.  It had been over a week since they had left Morgane, and most of her time had been spent above with the crew.  The entire time she couldn't help but notice how Fredrick had spent less and less time with her and more time with Will and Anamaria.  It didn't bother her at all; it was just an observation she had made.  Now, looking at Fredrick from the corner of her eye, she noticed how his once soft hands were becoming calloused and his arms and face were darker than before.  

"Do you ever wish you had never left Marcail?" she asked.

Fredrick thought for a moment.  "Sometimes I miss my work, but then they're always injuries to take care of here."  He shrugged.  "I guess it really doesn't matter.  I didn't have any family in Marcail or many friends.  Suppose that's why I followed after you," he admitted.  "After Bernie died you were the only friend I had left, so when Captain Sparrow came around to take you back with him, I didn't know what I'd do."  He ran his fingers through his sandy hair. "Following after you seemed only natural at the time."

"And do you regret it now?" Scarlett inquired.

Fredrick hesitated, images flashing through his mind.  "Only sometimes, but then I look around at all of my new friends and realize how much happier I am."

"On a pirate ship?  Don't imagine you ever thought you would be saying that."

Fredrick smiled.  "No, I don't believe I would have."

Later that night Scarlett found herself wandering the deck once again.  As the _Black Pearl_ moved steadily closer to Venetia, her nerves and mind became more tormented.  Images of Carver and Ansgar continued to run through her mind, playing with her heart until she wanted to toss herself into the ocean to numb it.  On top of it all, though, there was one thing that really kept her up all night: the small secret she had been keeping from Jack and her friends.  She didn't know what they would say if they knew.  In the back of her mind she knew they would swallow the truth and deal with it, but would they stop trusting her for not telling them sooner?

Scarlett ran her thumbnail along the outline of her lower lip.  She was making this out to be more than it really was.  It wasn't as if they needed to know, did they?  Everyone had their secrets, why couldn't she keep hers?  _They'll find out later_, a voice whispered.  She sighed, relenting to the simple truth.  Yes, they would find out eventually.  Ansgar would tell them, and they would be furious with her for not letting them know.  Would them knowing really make that much of a difference, though?  It wouldn't, surely.

The unfurled sails waved and writhed in the wind, snapping as they were stretched taut.  The ship creaked ominously, and the wind howled, resembling that of a restless spirit.  That thought paused Scarlett's footsteps and she looked around.  Maybe restless spirits did still walk on the _Black Pearl_'s deck.  Hadn't Will told her that when Barbossa had run her they had been half-dead at the time?  Could one of them still be there?  She shivered and pushed the preposterous ideas away.  Honestly, going on about restless spirits and all… she was going to turn into a nut by the time they reached Venetia.

Scarlett turned to head below when she noticed someone standing at the bulwark a ways away.  She frowned.  Will and Fredrick had turned in some time ago, Jack was at the helm, and only one other man from the crew was above deck in the crow's nest.  She walked closer to see who it was and blinked in surprise at finding Anamaria.  "I wasn't expecting to see you up," Scarlett said, joining her female companion at the railing. 

Anamaria shrugged and glanced up at the dark sky above.  "C'uldn't sleep," Anamaria replied.  "Too much on me mind."

Scarlett nodded.  "I understand exactly how you feel.  Mind keeps running in circles to the point it's driving you insane.  Smelling the salt of the ocean and feeling the wind on my face always seems to calm me down somehow, though.  Must be the same for you, eh?"  Anamaria looked at Scarlett and hesitated, as if contemplating telling her something.  Scarlett noticed and raised an inquiring eyebrow.   "You can tell me anything, you know, and I won't repeat a word of it to anyone."

Anamaria sighed, a sardonic twist on her lips.  "Do ye ever feel low, like ye're only th' dirt on someone's feet?"

Scarlett blinked in surprise at the question.  Where was this coming from?  "Yes, I have in the past while I was living under my father's roof.  He used to make me feel insignificant, as if I didn't deserve anything he had given me.  He even called me a neighbour's swine once that had wandered over to steal the food from his table."

Anamaria nodded, as if in complete understanding.  "We aren' very dif'rent, ye and I.  Two pirates livin' off th' land, torn apart by our pasts.  Funny, ain't it?"

Scarlett still couldn't seem to figure out where Anamaria was going with this.  She was probably just trying to get some thoughts out of her mind.  "Not so funny, really.   Most pirates come from the same background: poverty, lack of family love and encouragement."  She paused.  Jack was an exception to that.  He had been surrounded by enough love and riches anyone could have dreamt of. 

Anamaria nodded, and a silence fell between them.  Scarlett watched her friend discreetly, waiting to see if she would say anything more. 

"Better get t' bed," Anamaria said abruptly, stepping back from the bulwark.  "See ye tomorr'a, Scarlett."

Scarlett nodded.  As Anamaria's footsteps faded, she turned around and leaned back against the railing with her elbows resting on it, watching the dark figure disappear below deck.  She sighed and looked over her shoulder out to sea.  Apparently she wasn't the only one with tormented thoughts.

They would be in Venetia by late afternoon tomorrow, and Scarlett couldn't get the rest she seriously needed.  She had been tossing and turning for over an hour, her mind once again restless.  Her mind was riddled with guilt, all because of that one, small secret she kept close to her chest.  She doubted it would be that large of a difference if she didn't tell them, but not telling them… she doubted her conscience would allow it.  She rolled onto her left side and stared at the wall.  Would Jack even care?  It didn't effect the purpose of what they were about to do.

_It has everything to do with what we're about to do_, she reminded herself reluctantly.

 Sighing, she tossed an arm over her eyes and tried to clear her mind of all thoughts.  It worked, for a short while, until the _Black Pearl_ dipped down over a wave, nearly tossing Scarlett out of bed.  She grasped the thin mattress and clung to it, not particularly favouring the thought of slamming onto the rough wooden floor.  And, just as if the wave had tipped over a bucket, all of her worries and doubts tumbled back into her mind and she found herself tossing and turning again. 

After another twenty minutes of this, she growled in frustration, tossed the covers off of her, and climbed out of bed.  With her mind set, she didn't think of much else except talking to Jack.  She had enough of a mind to grab a thin robe she had owned from previous years aboard the _Black Pearl_ before walking out of her berth and to the ladder leading above deck.  Her bare feet hurt by the time she reached the main deck from the ladder rungs, and then nearly froze at the ice-cold water that had washed aboard.  The robe did nothing for warmth, only speeding up her pace to the captain's quarters.  She didn't even bother to knock.

Jack lay on his back in bed with the cover pulled up around his waist and an arm thrown across his forehead.  His breathing was rhythmic and his face held a smirk of pleasure.  Frowning, she strode over to the bed and yanked off the covers; she was in no mood to be patient.  "Jack, wake up!"

Captain Jack Sparrow awoke with a start, sitting bolt upright in bed.  He looked around crazily until he saw her standing there with his covers in her hands.  He also remembered, much to his discomfort, he wasn't wearing anything.  He lunged for the covers, grabbing them back from her grasp.  She rolled her eyes and walked over to his desk chair.

"Stop trying to be modest, Jack," she said sardonically, turning and dropping into the chair.  "It isn't as if I haven't seen any of it before."

Jack glared at her angrily while covering himself.  "What the bloody 'ell do ye think you're doin', woman!" he exclaimed.  "You don't 'ave any authority to be bargin' in while I'm tryin' t' get me beauty sleep."

Scarlett snorted, trying to restrain a smile.  She was enjoying this too much.  "I could comment on that, but I won't," she said, smiling sweetly.  "But honestly, Jack, I need to talk to you about something.  I don't think it's going to make much of a difference, but I feel as if you need to know anyway.  If you think the rest of the crew need to know then by all means, we can have a little meeting of sorts and fill them in, though I would really rather keep it amongst the two of us and Will.  No one else really needs to know."

Jack blinked stupidly and waved his hands in the air.  "Slow down, love.  All I got outta that was ye needed to tell me somethin' and didn't want others t' know."

Scarlett licked her lips.  "That was basically the point anyway," she muttered, suddenly retreating into herself. 

Jack waited for her to continue, and the silence dragged on.  Growing impatient, he said, "Look, as much as I'm enjoying this 'not-hating-Jack' moment, I would prefer if ye would just spill yer bucket and tell me so I can go back to me beauty sleep.  Even men need their beauty sleep."  He paused.  "Maybe beauty ain't the right word…"

"My uncle's name was Garrett Bane," Scarlett said abruptly, interrupting Jack's train of thought.

Jack looked at her and raised an eyebrow.  "I'm sorry for yer loss, then, seein' as ye used the past tense, and I'm assumin' he's dead.  Deepest regrets, honestly, but if that's all, I would really like t' get back t' sleep."  He smiled.  "And, while you're in a good mood, would you care to join me?  It is kinda chilly out there and I wouldn't want ye catchin' a cold an' all."

"Jack, I'm trying to tell you, so please, quit with the smart remarks for just a moment, will you?" Scarlett asked tiredly.  She sighed.  "My father's youngest brother's name was Garrett.  Does that mean anything to you?"

Jack could see she was trying to tell him something, but he couldn't figure it out.  The name meant something to him, but he couldn't place his finger on what it was exactly.  He waved his hand in a circular motion.  "And…?"

"He changed his family name."  Her words were dragging now.  "When he went beyond being just a merchant to a smuggler, he changed his family name from Bane to Ansgar."

Jack's eyes widened in shock.  "But…you mean he's your…oh, shit."

Scarlett leaned forward and rested her elbows on her knees.  "Yes, Garret Ansgar is my uncle.   Don't you remember me telling you about my father's brother who always brought me small trinkets and other gifts whenever he stopped by to visit?  That was him before he became a smuggler.  He got in this huge fight with my parents and left in a rage when I was around five.  He never visited again, but I know it was after that that he began his double-life as not only the wealthy aristocrat but as the smuggler, too.  He changed his last name so people wouldn't connect the two.  Garrett isn't a fairly popular name, but no one seems to have noticed for some reason, nonetheless."  She shrugged.  "I suppose it's because the two lives are so completely opposite no one would ever think that Garret Bane and Garrett Ansgar were one and the same."

Jack stared at her.  "A bit much t' take in, don't you think?  Why tell me now?"

"Because we're going to be facing him in a matter of one or two days and I knew the truth would leak out eventually.  I just didn't want you learning it from the wrong source."

"Aha."  Jack ran his tongue along his teeth, letting this new found information sink in.  "This certainly puts a whole new swing on things, don't it?" he muttered.  He sighed and kicked off the covers.  "Well, guess we better start puttin' a plan together, aye?"  His modesty from before forgotten, he strode across the room and grabbed some clothes from a drawer.  While pulling on his breeches, he asked, "When you were younger, did ye ever go to his berth in Venetia?"

Scarlett leaned back and turned the chair around so she was looking at him.  "No, though he did talk about it a lot."  Her eyes brightened and she leaned forward abruptly.  "I can vaguely remember him telling my father about a hidden entrance that had been used years before while there had been some attacks going on in the vicinity from the natives.  Its entrance was supposed to be somewhere near the far left side of the house."

Jack grinned and walked over to the desk, leaving his white shirt unbuttoned.  He grabbed a quill and blank piece of parchment and placed them before her. "Make a sketch of the place as best ye can, love.  This may be our way of getting Carver and all of us out in one piece."

Scarlett raised an eyebrow, slowly picking up the quill.  "He knows we're coming, so what if he suspects that I've told you about the hidden entrance and that you may use it?  He might have some of his crew watching it."

Jack dropped back onto his bed and smiled,  "All we need is a diversion, and this Captain knows every best diversion in th' book."

Author's Note: I am getting bad at this.  Not updating regularly, short chapters….I'm so sorry!  The story is nearing an end though, sadly, and more action is on the way!  Pease bare with me.  And, if you don't mind, would you be so kind as to review?  You know how much I adore them.  Oh, and thank-you to the new reviewers.  Sorry for making you wait!  Now if only I could get my Internet service to work…


	34. Tattered Gold

The reason behind Ansgar's "Kidnapping" has already been hinted at but not told straight out.  Of course, reason's aren't always based on true facts….  There's a hint, so keep it mind.

Secrets of the Caribbean 

Written By: Riley Barton

[Chapter Thirty-Three]

Scarlett ran her index finger along the blade of her drawn sword, staring avidly at the glittering lights of Venetia.  Half an hour until they drop anchor, one hour until revenge. 

Her eyes were dark, storming like wind-tossed ocean waves in the dead of night.  Her stance was solid, unmoving, as her body took the rolls of the ocean as if they were nothing.  Her long blonde hair had been pulled back in a low ponytail with a strip of leather to keep it away from her face; only a few stray strands too short to be pulled back hung loose.  She licked her dry lips, her mind focused on what she would do to Garrett when she found him. 

After telling Jack her small secret she had felt as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders.  She had been able to help plan their source of attack, and with her knowledge of how Ansgar liked to 'play' they had the upper hand.  She no longer argued or taunted Jack, either.  To defeat her uncle they had to work together. 

Throughout all of their planning periods, however, they had not been able to come up with a suitable reason for why Ansgar was striking against the two of them by taking Carver.  The only logical reason was that he wanted payback for the many years ago that they had stolen his gem.  Scarlett's logic crossed that idea out.  Garrett had always kept his anger close to him and did often take his revenge, but she knew he had other gems twice the value of the ruby they had stolen, so where was the point?  Scarlett's past with him could not be the reason, either.  She had never done anything against him; she had been the clinging niece that always ran to him whenever he stopped by to visit.  Maybe he was taking revenge against her for whatever her father may have done to him?  No; that idea had had no backbone to it.

The crescent moon appeared from behind an array of dark clouds.  The ocean waves sparkled with a dark intensity from the moonlight, and the deck of the _Pearl_ was cast in an eerie light.  Pausing at the sound of the anchor's chain, she returned her sword to its battered scabbard and turned.  Jack appeared on deck and shouted out orders to let go the anchor and furl the sails.  Crewmen rushed to do as he bid, working as one.  She noticed Will passing a long sword to Fredrick, who took it almost hesitantly. 

Will had been trying to teach Fredrick how to use a sword during the past few days, but with such a short amount of time, Fredrick had not been able to learn as well as he could have.  He would barely be able to keep his own in a fight with a pirate.  Scarlett had been hesitant to include him in their plans, but against Fredrick's determination to help and Will's nod of approval, her voice had been too small to take much momentum.

Jack called to Will and Fredrick, motioning for them to get into one of the boats that hung from pulleys on the side of the ship.  Anamaria, Gibbs, and two other pirates were already aboard.  Scarlett double-checked to be certain she had everything she would need: her sword, pistol, two daggers, and a cutlass.  Nodding, she bent down to pick up a burlap sack that rested beside her feet.  She swung it over her shoulder and made her way across the deck.  The boat with Will and Fredrick was lowered onto the ocean waves before the ropes were released and the boat bobbed freely.  The remaining boat was for two other pirates, Jack, and herself.  In total, five rowboats were sailing out, and five other trained pirates would remain to protect the _Black Pearl_ should she be attacked. 

Jack climbed aboard the boat first and reached over to take the sack from her.  He dropped it to the bottom of the boat and held out a hand to help her aboard.  She ignored it and swung aboard.  The boat was lowered, set free, and the two began rowing to shore. 

"That lazy son-of-a-bitch."  Scarlett glowered up at the large estate that far outdistanced the Anderton estate in Marcail.  She shook her head angrily as she and the rest of the pirates huddled in the underbrush surrounding the vast estate.  "His own brother was barely making a living while he lived in this splendour," she spat.  "Selfish jackass." 

"Every family has a bad seed, lass," Gibbs spoke up from where he knelt on her left. 

Scarlett smiled wryly and said, "Yeah, well my family had two."  Looking contemptuously at the apparent opulence of wealth the estate presented, she moved back into the brush.  The pirates followed her a distance before they all straightened, able to do so without being spotted by anyone.  The surrounding areas about the estate were like a forest with overgrown trees and brush –ideal to hide in without being caught.

Scarlett folded her arms across her chest and leaned against a large tree trunk, angrily scuffing at the dirt underfoot.  She stifled a hiss as the toes of her boot slammed into a hiding root. "Damn," she mumbled.

Jack appeared at her side and smiled cockily, adjusting the hat he insisted on wearing a top his head. "Lighten up some, love.  Ye'll be getting' all the payback ye want in an hour's time."

"I know, but I don't know if it will be enough.  And where are those damned scouts we sent out half an hour ago?"

"Dan and Lennie?  Aw, don't get yer panties in a twist ov'r th' likes of 'em, lass," a buff pirate said.  "They be the best spying lads ye can asks for.  Never get caught, they don't."

"They need to hurry up, besides," she added, looking into the darkness.  "We're runnin' outta time."

Suddenly two shapes appeared on her right, startling Scarlett into a jump; Jack grabbed her arms to steady her before she tripped over a root.  She glared at the two men shrouded in shadows, who were trying to hide their grins.  The smallest one couldn't stop his smile, but quickly spoke up to cover it.  "We studied their patterns.  Two men are hidin' in the bushes either side of the front step, one man on each side of th' house, and another two in the area ye said was where the secret entrance be.  All's of 'em looks weary to us."

The second man added, "Aye, be easy t' distract 'em an' git in."

"Good," Scarlett replied.  She turned to the gathered pirates and made eye contact with the selected few that were going to dispose of Ansgar's 'protectors'.  They all nodded, understanding the order she was giving, grabbed the bags of accessories they would need, and disappeared into the darkness after Dan and Lennie.  Now only Jack, Scarlett, Anamaria, Will, Gibbs, Cotton, and Fredrick remained.  They all looked around at one another quietly, no one saying anything.  All there was left to do now was wait.

Anamaria shifted her weight to her right leg and looked about her.  Twenty minutes had passed since the others had scampered off, and not a sound other than she and the others breathing and the occasional scuffle of an animal remained.  Scarlett and Jack were on the ground leaning against the same tree, Will was crouched on the ground sharpening his blade with a flat rock he had found, and Cotton was petting his parrot while Gibbs watched Will absently with a distant look in his eyes.  Fredrick, who had been sitting on a large root, stood and brushed the dirt from his pants before joining her.  She noticed his hands constantly went to the sword at his waist anxiously, almost nervously.  He shouldn't have come.

The sound of distant thrashing came to Anamaria's ears and she straightened, alert, as her hand went to the pistol hidden in the waistline of her pants hidden beneath her billowing black blouse.  Sitting below her, Scarlett tensed while Jack placed a hand warningly on her upper arm, keeping her down.  Will had stopped sharpening his blade, his eyes flickering to find the direction the noise was coming from.  A figure stumbled into their small resting area, blustering about like a crazed wild man.  Gibbs leapt to his feet and ran the sword through the man's lower back, the very sharpest point of the deadly blade sticking out through the man 's stomach on the other side.  The sword was withdrawn quickly and the man fell to his knees, dead.   As one Jack and Scarlett came to their feet and moved to kneel by the fallen man.

Gibbs stared at his blade, shaking his head as Jack stared at him.  "He wasn't one o' ours," he whispered.  "I know 'e ain't."

Scarlett pushed on the dead man's arm and rolled him onto his back.  Her lips twitched at the stench of blood, but she neither shivered in disgust nor blinked an eye; she had seen enough death for this one to not faze her.  She looked up at Gibbs and Jack.  "He's one of Garrett's men," she concluded, confirming Gibbs statement.  She almost smiled.  "You've got a quick eye, Gibbs, especially in darkness.  This man was hooked onto your sword before I fully comprehended what had happened."

Gibbs eyes smiled at her compliment, while his face remained impassive.

Jack raised his eyebrows comically and looked down at the body, leaning forward slightly with a disturbed look on his face.  He forced a cheery smile.  "Well then, Fredrick, lad, and young mister Turner, would you care to, um, dispose of the body?"  He didn't wait for a reply before distancing himself and leaning back against a tree.  Scarlett gave him an inquisitive look, but he ignored it.  When Fredrick and Will hesitated, she motioned for them to go ahead.

"You all right, Jack?" she asked, walking up to him. 

He looked at her blankly.  "Of course, love, what would be wrong?"

Scarlett shrugged, folding her arms across her chest.  "I don't know.  You just seemed a little… perturbed."

Jack waved a dismissive hand in the air, accidentally flapping an overhanging tree branch.  He nearly jumped out of his skin at the unexpected contact.  Scarlett wanted to laugh at how amusing this was.  "It's just a tree branch, Jack," she told him, trying to keep the laughter out of her voice.

Jack cleared his throat.  "I knew that."  He looked over his shoulder at the branch, glaring at it in an offended manner, when yet another figure, this one moving at a slower pace and stumbling somewhat, appeared before them.

Scarlett's eyes widened and she went to the man's side, holding him up by placing one of his arms around her neck. "Lennie, what happened?" she asked, noticing the bloodied gash in his side; the shirt he wore clung to it. 

Lennie took a steadying breath.  "Was jumped.  Dunno if th' others were treated likewise.  Small man swung at me before I even moved out of the cover of the trees b'fore takin' off.  He was headin' in yer direction, so I followed."

Scarlett helped him to a spot on the ground and let him down gently with the help of Anamaria.  Fredrick and Will returned just then, startled at finding another man in their midst, bleeding from a wound.  Fredrick went forward and persuaded the man onto his back.  "Apply pressure and someone try to find something to staunch the flow with," he instructed.

Scarlett watched as Cotton moved to tear a strip of his shirt, and leaned forward to the man's face.   "Is it not safe to go in?" she asked fervently.

The man could only shake his head.  "I don't know.  Patrick an' Calvin went t' that underground entrance ye spoke of, but I dunno what 'appened to 'em."

Scarlett nodded and pulled back, going over to Jack.  "Do you think we should proceed?" she asked quietly.  "There's no way of knowing what is going on out there, and we don't have enough people with us to send out more scouts.  Even if we did we could be wasting precious time that I would rather not use up."  Jack stared at Lennie with a frown on his face.  "Jack, I think we should act before we regret it.  Fredrick can stay with Lennie.  I never wanted him on this venture anyway; he isn't skilled enough with a sword, no matter how many hours he spent with Will."  She spoke with earnest.  "Please, we need to act _now_."

Jack finally looked at her and nodded.  "Ye always knew the best move, love.  I trust you enough t' let you lead."

Scarlett suddenly smiled at his spontaneous words.  "Thank you."  She squeezed his hand and turned to the others.  She looked to Fredrick and placed a hand on his shoulder, catching his attention.  "You'll be staying with Lennie.  If anyone bothers you, kill them.  Don't even think about it.  The rest of us are going forward.  I will not stand around and let time be wasted."

Fredrick looked as if he was about to protest, but when he looked back to Lennie, he knew he would not leave; he never left a patient when he was within helping distance.  He nodded.  "I'll be here when you get back," he replied.

Scarlett nodded at him, and Jack motioned for everyone to follow as the remaining five disappeared.

Fredrick rubbed the back of his neck with his hand, briefly pausing.  The crick in his neck was not going away any time soon, and he forced himself to forget about it. He carefully finished bandaging Lennie's stomach where the sword had cut into him and sat back on the balls of his feet.  Lennie smiled faintly before falling to sleep.  It was better if he slept, Fredrick decided.  At least the pain would be forgotten temporarily. 

With lack of anything else to do, he leaned back against a tree and rested, keeping his eyes open.  As much as he wanted to fall asleep, he knew it could be his death wish so close to danger.  Hadn't an enemy already stumbled upon them?

He had only been sitting there for ten minutes, a full twenty minutes after Scarlett and the rest had left, when he heard approaching footsteps.  His heart picked up its pace, pounding in his ears.  He went for his sword and moved so he was kneeling on the ground, ready to spring up if the need arose.  He watched as the figure moved into the area, looking around.  A muffled curse escaped the man's lips just as Fredrick jumped up and aimed the sword at the man's neck.  "Who are you?"

The man seemed surprised, but overcame it and held his hands up in the air.  "Calvin, one'a Jack Sparrow's men," was the reply.  "Please tell me they haven't left?"  The defeat in the man's voice was apparent and Fredrick felt dread wash over him.  He dropped the sword from the man's throat.

"What's happened?" he asked fearfully.

"They've been waitin', all of them," Calvin said in a rush.  "Most o' Ansgar's crew was hidin', and only a couple of 'em were in the open, servin' as guards.  They knew we was coming.  Someone must have been waitin' at the wharf and ran here when we arrived.  I know Jack tried t' make our arrival quiet-like, but them other crew boys are slick.  Patrick was killed at the hidden entranceway.  That place be th' most protected."

Fredrick shook his head.  "That's where they went," he replied heavily.  "They didn't want to waste time by waiting."

Calvin shivered.  "How long ago?"

"Over fifteen minutes."

"Dear Mother of God." 

---

Scarlett swung her sword up, blocking a blow from a charging man, grinding her metal against his, and then shoved him back before defending herself again from another onslaught.  The moment she and the others had reached the area, she had felt apprehensive.  Patrick and Calvin had been nowhere in sight, and no else was either.  She had found speckles of blood on the grass, but nothing else remained.  Without any other choice they had proceeded into the hidden entrance, only to be set upon by a score of men –they had been waiting, and dried blood already graced their swords.  She and the rest had been fighting them off as best they could and had been holding their own, but all five were wearing down.

Across the room Jack slashed at a man's side, faintly satisfied at the howl the man emitted from his lips. Though strong, he was beginning to tire, and they hadn't even left the tunnel-like room yet.  This was not good; they had been ready for them, waiting, and there were a lot more of them than there should have been.  He blocked a blow and spun around, taking in where all of his companions were.  They were still holding up their strength, but the onslaught against them was tireless.  Only four of the twenty men were dead with one injured but still fighting.  Will and Cotton were fighting together, back to back, and Anamaria fought solo, her grace and speed blinding her attackers.  Scarlett was the one person, though, he knew needed to go on.  She was the main person Ansgar was after.  Somehow Jack had been dragged into it as well, but he and Scarlett both knew it was she he wanted.  He ground his teeth together.  She was not facing him alone.

Jack fought his way to her until they were side by side.  He attacked a man from behind, slicing him along the neck; the man gargled blood and fell at Scarlett's feet.  She jumped over him without hesitation and blocked a sword that had been coming down on Jack's back.  They fought together like this, both protecting the other, until they got a small break. "The others can cover for us while we go above," Jack told her, breathing heavily.

She looked at him incredulously.  "They can't manage all of these guys alone!" she exclaimed, jumping as a sword came at her.  Her sword met the other man's, and she kicked him in the gut, sending him head over heels into the wall where he slumped over, limp. 

"They can manage," Jack said, disposing of another man.  He grabbed her hand.  "Come on."  They moved to the door, both fighting off men that came after them.  Scarlett caught Will's eye from across the room.  He gave a brisk nod, showing he understood, and went after a man that was trying to hinder Jack and Scarlett's escape.  He ran the man through and kicked him aside.  Smiling wryly at Scarlett, he jutted his chin in the direction of the door.  "Good luck," he whispered before defending their escape.  Jack and Scarlett ran out of the underground room and into a narrow tunnel that led up into the house.  The sound of fighting echoed up to them, and Scarlett couldn't help feeling as if she was betraying them by leaving.  The idea wasn't thought on long as she and Jack stumbled into a corridor lined with lavish carpet and tapestries.  _Bastard_, she thought angrily.

Jack closed the hidden door behind them and they both paused to examine it.  Both were shocked at how well it blended with the wall.  There wasn't even the outline of a doorframe.  The wallpaper had been done so intricately that the lines were hidden in the design. 

Scarlett looked around, feeling apprehensive again.  "I really don't like this," Scarlett whispered.  "He knows we're here, and I know him enough to realize he wouldn't leave the inside of his home unprotected."

Jack nodded.  "Let's go this way, and keep your eyes open."

Scarlett followed him, faintly noticing her bloodied sword was leaving specks of blood on the cream-coloured carpet.  They came to the entrance hall and paused to gaze around.  It was rich in all aspects, from the glittering gold chandelier lined with diamonds, to the inlaid marble floor in both cream and black.  The staircase was set in the center with smooth wooden banisters in an old, intricate design one didn't find very often.  A large room opened off the entrance hall, and she would see a large family portrait hanging above the fireplace.  Intrigued, she made her way toward it as if drawn by an unseen force.  Jack followed apprehensively, looking about suspiciously. 

The portrait was dated quite a few years back, just about the time that she was around the age of three.  There was one woman in the picture, sitting on a cushioned chair with a small child in her lap.  Standing behind them were two older men, both alike in physical features.  The taller of the two men was smiling broadly with his left hand on the woman's shoulder.  The other man stood somewhat bereft from the other couple and their child.  His hands were clasped before him, clutching a thin book, and his face was solemn.  Scarlett's eyes went to the child sitting on the woman's lap and could only stare.  That dress the child wore, she knew that dress.  She herself had worn it as a child, and the woman whose lap the child rested, that face had been carved into Scarlett's mind since she had first seen it: a heart-shaped face framed with blonde locks, rich honey-brown eyes, and small, pink lips that had always been wearing a smile.  Her mother.

Jack came up behind her, studying the picture.  He could easily recognize the younger men standing there; one was Ansgar, younger and clean-cut, while the other was his older brother, Marshall, the perfect image of the ideal husband.  And all of it lies.

She knew they were wasting time staring at the portrait, but something kept her there as she searched the faces of the people painted on the canvas.  There was something there she couldn't see, something she needed to find –she could feel it.  Her eyes stopped on the man on the left, her uncle, Garret Bane-Ansgar.  He held the secret, she knew, but what was it?  She stopped as it hit her. 

The book and his eyes. 

Unlike her father, mother, and younger self, Garrett was not looking directly at them to where, at the time the picture was painted, the artist would be standing.  On the contrary, he was looking at the woman and child in the chair.  It was just a small image in the picture that wasn't to be easily noted, but she had caught it.  The book, also, was something of interest.  Her mother had loved books.  She could remember sitting with her mother while a book was read to her.  It had always been her mother's favourite pastime and escape.  She could only shake her head at the conclusion she was coming to.  How could it have gone unnoticed for so many years?

It hadn't gone unnoticed, she realized.  The argument her parents and uncle had had all those many years ago…

"I'm going on alone, Jack," she said sternly.  She looked at him and he was vaguely surprised at the determination he found on her face.

Jack shook his head.  "Not alone, you aren't.  Ye can't handle him all by yourself, Scarlett."

"I need to.  This is my fight, Jack, not yours.  I still don't know why he took Carver, but I know other secrets that have been buried and they need to be found out, told to me by his own mouth, without anyone else listening.  Will and the others need you more than I do right now.  Please, Jack.  I have to go on alone."

He stood quiet, staring at her.  "This is my chance to help, unlike I did all those years ago when I left you behind."

Scarlett smiled sadly, shaking her head.  "Forget about that.  You've already done enough to make up for it.  But now, you can't help me in this.  All you can give me is your word you won't follow and that you and the others will be safely waiting for me outside when Carver and I come out."

Jack slowly nodded, the pain in his eyes all too clear to her.  "I'll come looking for you if ye don't come."

She reached up and placed a hand on his cheek, smiled, and ran for the door.  He watched her go, feeling as if she had been taken out of his life again.  He tried to ignore the feeling that told him he wasn't seeing her again, and forced his feet forward to where he knew the hidden door to be.

Scarlett ran down the corridor opposite the first she and Jack had come in to, and drew her sword and cutlass.  Anger surged through her, and with an angry shout she swung both weapons out and dragged them along the walls, cutting into the wallpaper and paintings and tapestries hanging there.  A long gash cutting through the hall was left in her wake, a blur of angry red fire.  She knew what room she needed to find, but where was it?  Something was caught in her mind, though: she had been here before, as a child, around the time that picture had been painted.  And if her uncle and been in love with her mother around that time, then there was only one room in the entire household she could imagine him being in, waiting for her to come like he knew she would. 

She came to three steps leading down into a round room with large double doors across the hall and another door, simpler in design, on her left.  Remembering there to be a large circular tower on this end of the house, she went for that door.  She moved the cutlass to her left hand and turned the knob with her right.  She strode into the library decked out in shelves upon shelves of books, both weapons back in her hands.  She spun full-circle on a rich, Persian rug, glaring about her.  "Where are you, Garrett?" she exclaimed.  "I know you're in here!"

She heard a shuffling from above and looked up to a balcony that lined the wall quite a few feet up where more books could be found.  She waited until she saw him come to the railing, rest his arms on them, and smile down at her.  "I knew you would find your way," he said in a smooth, silky voice lined with patience.  "Your mother always did, too."

Scarlett's fingers itched to run the blade of her cutlass through his heart, but she needed answers first.  "You're the reason my father became the way he did, aren't you?  You and your sick love towards my mother ruined everything!"

Garrett shook his head, clucking his tongue like one would at a naughty child.  "No, no, Scarlett, you've got it all wrong.  You were the reason he became the way he did."

Scarlett frowned at him.  "He loved me, treated me like a princess.  How can you even say I was the reason?"

Garrett slowly began to walk the length of the upper balcony, trailing his calloused hands on the black railing.  "Not everything is as it seems, dear girl.  Some secrets come wrapped in paper bags, but you," he said, coming to a pause as he looked directly into her eyes, "came wrapped in tattered gold."

Author's Note:  Another long delay in which I can only apologize profusely.  Thank you so much for all the reviews, I love em to death.  So, has anyone figured out all the little secrets I have in here?  I have left hints and thoughts all over the place, so I can only wonder if someone has…

To Black Pearls and Ivory Lace: (I love your name, by the way) Thank you so much!  I don't believe I had ever felt so honoured or happy to get your review.  I couldn't believe someone liked my story so much that they wanted to post it on their website.  However, as much as I love the idea and am so thankful for your offer, I'm afraid I'll have to decline it.  I know story ideas can be stolen off of as easily as they could on a smaller website, but I would rather this story not be posted in so many places.  It makes it easier for someone to steal it, and I would like to change this story into my own, eventually.  Do you see what I'm getting at here?  I am so extremely thankful for your offer and want to give you a thousand hugs over, but I would rather you not post the story on your website.  Sorry!  I only hope you continue to read this story until the end.  Thank you so much!!


	35. Burning Tears

Does a happy little jig I'm a very happy little author at the moment.  Not only has my birthday just past, but I also got such splendid reviews from all of you wonderful people.  I only wish I could thank all of you a thousand times over but, unfortunately, I can't.  Just know I am sincerely thankful.  And, haha, so many of you have your ideas, but whether you are right or not you will have to see.  I'm just a buzzing bee right now…  Well, I suppose I better buzz along.  Damn do I sound corny… please ignore my second personality.  She's a bit eccentric.

WARNING!  Some word usage may sound a bit crude, just for the record.

Secrets of the Caribbean 

Written By: Riley Barton

[Chapter Thirty-Four]

"Not everything is how it seems, dear girl.  You feel the wind blowing on your face but you cannot see it, so does that mean it isn't there?  Just as the truth is glaring you in the face you do not see it, but it's there all the same." 

Scarlett glared up at him, watching and waiting.  He was telling her what she sought in a roundabout way, winding her down to her wits end.  Something was niggling at the back of her mind, and she fought to bring it forward.

Garrett paused and removed a book from the shelf beside him.  He turned and rested his elbows on the railing, balancing the book on the palm of his left hand.  "Do not think me cruel, Scarlett.  I believe it was William Shakespeare, your mother's favourite writer if I remember correctly, who said: 'I must be cruel only to be kind; thus bad begins, and worse remains behind'." He then turned his left hand over, allowing the thick leather bound book to fall. 

Scarlett waited for it to reach the floor, some pages tearing and wrinkling as the book landed open and page down.  She hesitated, looking up to Ansgar, before retrieving it.  It was a collection of scripts written by William Shakespeare, and just inside the cover written in ink was her mother's name in a crisp, cursive penmanship. 

"Your mother read that book so many times she could almost quote it," Garrett went on.  "I found her once sitting in here, reading from that book to a small child with curly blonde hair and bright green eyes."  He smirked.  "You.  Everything was always about you.  You were her pride and joy, as you were to my brother.  Pity your mother's awful lies knocked him off his high horse."

Scarlett looked up at him, refusing to give in to the case of shaking that wanted to take hold over her.  Her eyes returned to the book, staring at it.  It would make sense, the conclusion she was coming to, but the very idea was disturbing.  Every image she had of her mother had been of a smiling woman with not a single rebellious streak in her.  Could her mother really have been so different from the mental image she had formed over the years?  Could her mother have been one to commit adultery?

"Spoiling your mother's reputation, am I?" Garrett asked insolently, as if reading her thoughts.  "Truth always has had a small bite, much like a cold winter's wind in London."  Ansgar had reached the winding staircase that went down to the library's main floor.  He lazily placed a hand on the railing and started down.  "Julia always hated Jamaica.  She missed all the tea parties and get-togethers she experienced while visiting her grandmother in London.  Seems the life she held here in Jamaica wasn't enough to satisfy her.  She had to find other ways of entertaining herself.  Reading became a favourite hobby, tis true, but she had an insatiable appetite for men."  He smiled at her as he rounded a bend in the staircase, his eyes glittering.  "My poor older brother was one of the few she snagged, and I do realize that she loved him, for a time.  She never could love a man for more than a year or two.   Her love for Marshall didn't even last a year, but he was so absorbed in attending to her every whim he didn't even notice when she started disappearing at various times of the day."

Scarlett stepped to the side and placed the book on a table.  She tossed her cutlass into the air, caught it, and swung out, testing it.  She wasn't about to be caught unaware.

"Julia was lovely, although not as gorgeous as other women I've encountered.  There was something about her, though, that drew men to her.  Her cat-like eyes?  Her sultry charisma?  I'm sure none of her lovers can honestly tell you.  For me, however, it was the fact she was my brother's wife.  I hate Marshall, always have.  Always cast me in shadows, where my family was concerned.  No one seemed to notice the younger son that worked his ass off every day bringing in some money.  Oh no; they were too obsessed over their eldest son."  He stepped onto the library floor and stopped, casually leaning against the railing.  "I got so much pleasure thrusting it in her.  More than I did with any other woman.  Not because she was delicious, but because with every single movement, I was hurting my brother."  He chuckled.  "You were just the icing on the cake."

Scarlett growled angrily and lunged, swinging out at him; Garrett was ready.

The two parried, thrust, and blocked in a swirl of dark colours, moving in untimely unison, both skilled.  Garrett's form of attack was more aristocratic with a haughty air about the way his sword's blade would slide across your skin or clothes; Scarlett's was rougher, more brutal, her attacks were hard and unmerciful - barbaric.

Neither was weakening, and the library was being torn to pieces.  Blades thudded into shelves, books scattered onto the lavish rugs with torn pages, an expensive globe toppled from its stand and shattered, and the sofa and chair cushions had the stuffing seeping out from slices cut into the rich fabric.  The homey smell of books mingled with the stench of sweat as the two bombarded one another with relentless attacks, slicing or bruising the other in numerous places until they couldn't begin to identify which part of their body was hurt and what wasn't.  The furious static that bristled within the library's torn interior was enough to start a fire.

Scarlett's anger was a burning inferno that wouldn't be staunched, and as her arms grew weaker, the fire intensified until she was moving on adrenaline.  She needed something, anything, to give her the upper hand.  There was nothing in sight, however.  She stumbled over a book littering the floor and fell to the ground.  Garrett dropped down on top of her, pressing his blade against her own as she tried to hold him off.

"I've been waiting for this," he growled.  "An eye for an eye, eh?"

Confusion flickered across her face.  "I've done nothing!  If all this is about is that damned jewel Jack and I stole from you, then you can have it.  Jack has it in his cabin!"

Garrett laughed.  "That's what you think this is all about?  Do you really think me that petty to seek revenge all for a jewel?  Silly wench, I've got jewels twice that size that could bring in more money than you're worth."  He pressed harder on the blade and Scarlett felt her own blade nick her neck.  "This is for all the pain you've cost me!"

Scarlett pushed back, forcing the blades a smidgeon away from her neck.  "I don't know what you're talking about," she gasped.  "I've done nothing against you.  Don't take all your anger against your brother on me!"

As abruptly as an eagle swooping down onto its prey, Ansgar relented, backing away from her, glaring down on her quivering form as she lay on her back with her sword held hovering above her chest.  His eyes were filled with hatred, but for what she didn't know.  His sudden mercy had shocked her.

"Bitch!" Garret exclaimed.  "You killed the only thing in this entire world that meant anything to me!  You're just like my brother!  He stole my first daughter because he thought you were his, and then you, all grown up, following in his footsteps, started that damn fire and killed her!"

Scarlett was shaking uncontrollably at the ferocity of his anger.  Nothing she had ever done was due this much anger.  "Whom are you talking about?  I've never killed a woman, or any other undeserving person!  I've killed, surely every pirate has, but only those pirates that have brutally murdered others for no apparent reason other than greed.  I have never, and never will, kill an innocent person, Garrett."

Garrett was shaking out of anger, his grip on his sword tightening.  He shook his head as angry tears rose in his eyes.  "Liar!  You killed her, you killed my little Abigail!"  The sword suddenly dropped from his hands and he fell to his knees, shaking.

Frightened and unsure of this abrupt display of weakness caused Scarlett to back away, fearing he would suddenly lash out and kill her.  She shook her head.  "I've told you."  Her voice was cracking.  "I have never killed a woman, let alone a child."

"Don't lie to me!" he shouted.  He stumbled to his feet and grabbed his sword, but instead of advancing on her as Scarlett had expected, he strode across the library to a dark section and tore a black curtain off the wall.  A picture was hiding behind, but until Ansgar lit two lanterns was Scarlett able to discern what was painted onto the canvas.  Her eyes widened as she saw an angelic looking woman with soft brown hair and hazel eyes.  A younger version of the woman sat on her lap, decked out in a prim pink dress lined with lace.  Scarlett knew that child, and her mind flashed back to years before on the night she and Jack stole the gem from Ansgar.  The fire had been spreading quickly, faster than they had imaged, and they had been forced to flee through the kitchen.  She had stopped upon seeing a small girl hiding under the table.

"Oh my God," Scarlett whispered as she felt her heart clench.  That small girl she had helped out of the burning building, the girl who had been asking to be taken to her father, the girl she had, instead, taken to a strangers home for safe-keeping, had been Abigail.  Ansgar's daughter and her half-sister.

Garrett glared at her.  "That was my wife, Victoria, and that small child was my daughter, Abigail, the girl you killed in that damn fire.  Victoria killed herself out of despair upon learning that her only daughter had been killed by the unwanted bitch of mine from a former fling."  He angrily wiped the tears away from his eyes.  "And now, your son will pay for what you did.  You and that damned pirate captain of yours, both of you deserve the worst punishment possible for killing my baby girl!"

Tears were in Scarlett's eyes as she stumbled to her feet, shaking her head helplessly.  "She wasn't killed, Garrett," she tried to explain.  "I found her hiding under a table in the back kitchen of that building.  I helped her out and gave her to some stranger, asking the lady to take her to find her father.  I had never dreamt it was you, and I never knew what became of the girl.  I assumed she was taken to her father."

"Lying bitch!"  Garrett swung out furiously, slicing the portrait in half out of his anger.  "Stop making up lies to cover your ass.  Lies aren't going to help you now!"

Scarlett could only block the oncoming blows from his as he lashed out in despair, anger, and hurt.  Both had tears in their eyes as they fought.  Scarlett didn't even try to attack him; her heart just wasn't set against him anymore.  She allowed him to press against her until he grew too weary to continue.  When he finally did, he dropped to the floor like a wounded animal and cried, his shoulders shaking.

Scarlett gasped achingly through her own tears, her heart hurting for the pitiful state of her true father, a man who was not only her father, but also the father of another girl named Abigail, now around the age of nineteen, who no one knew where to find.  Her tears blurred her vision as hurts and despair from years past overcame her.  She wanted to fall right then and there and cry until she felt better, but she knew she couldn't.  She gazed at Garrett's crumpled, shaking, crying form and closed her eyes as tears seeped out from under her lids.  When she opened them again Garrett was still there.  Knowing she was of no use to him, she left in search of Carver.

Scarlett searched every nook and cranny, looking behind every couch, every tapestry, every desk, under every bed, until she finally came to an insignificant door at the farthest reaches of the house on the top floor.  The door was locked when she tried it, but in a surge of adrenaline she charged the door, everything going into that one push.  The door fell open and landed onto the wooden planks with a bang, just barely covering the sound of something moving along the floor.  With eyes swollen from crying and cheeks stained with dried tears, she looked into the dark room and whispered, "Carver?"  No one replied, and a gut-wrenching sob escaped her as she threw herself against the wall and slid down until she reached the floor.  She cradled her head in her hands, shaking.  Was there nothing left for her anymore?

She sat there sobbing, letting everything out, when she felt small hands reach around her and hold her close.  Scarlett jumped and looked down at the small boy hugging her around the middle as he pressed his face against her shoulder.  Her heart leapt upon seeing the familiar dark curls, and she grinned as happy tears flowed down her cheeks as she held her son close.  She was so overcome upon finding him and him upon finding her that neither of them heard the approaching footsteps until a shadow passed over them.  Scarlett looked up, gasped, and pulled Carver back with her against the farthest wall.  She cursed herself upon forgetting her weapons in the library.  All she had to defend herself was a meager knife. 

Garrett Ansgar loomed over them with red eyes.  In his hand he held a flaming torch with fire flickering harshly on the end.  He smiled and chuckled weakly.  "God be with you," he whispered hauntingly, and placed the torch against the walls on either side of the doorframe, holding it there until the walls caught and began to spread.  Ansgar disappeared as smoke and a hell-like heat surrounded the two figures huddled inside.

Scarlett grabbed Carver into her arms and, shielding his body with hers, ran through the burning doorway into the hall, already starting to catch some of the flames escaping from the tiny room.  She stared in horror at the walls; many sections of them already up in flames.  How long had she left Garrett alone?  Had he had enough time to douse the entire house in fire and smoke?  Without contemplating it a moment longer, she dashed down the burning hallway to the stairs.  She was going to get Carver out of there even if she was killed in the process.  Jack could take care of him for her, she knew.

 She managed to reach the main floor before the smoke reached any of the staircases, but she was only surrounded by more smoke as she reached the bottom.  Ansgar was running throughout the house, drenching it in flames.  He was going to burn down his own home with the three of them inside.

 Coughing and wheezing, she made her way by memory down the halls, searching for an exit.  After what seemed like hours of searching, she couldn't find one.  Her mind was clouding, she had inhaled too much smoke, and Carver's weight was overpowering her.  She was stumbling now, trying not to fall onto anything already up in flames.  Parts of the roof and walls were collapsing, falling in around her, and she became so disoriented she didn't know her left hand from her right.  She stumbled into another hallway and wanted to weep.  It was a never-ending maze of fire and smoke that she couldn't escape.

Hands hot to the touch grabbed her by the arm while another reached around her waist, leading her in a direction totally opposite from whence she had come.  She didn't even care who it was, just so long as they were leading she and Carver out.  The smoke had overpowered her just as fresh air swept into her nostrils and revived her mind.  She felt the crunch of grass beneath her and the wind on her face, even though she couldn't see it through her smoke-tortured eyes.  She set Carver on the ground before collapsing onto her hands and knees, gasping in the fresh air as tears leaked from her eyes, causing them to burn.  She could feel the heat of the fire on her back, but she didn't care.  Her hands and knees couldn't seem to take the weight any more and she fell onto her stomach on the grass, still coughing and gasping for air.  She opened her eyes and searched feebly for anything that could let her know where she was and who was with her.  Her eyes wouldn't cooperate, and instead she was left blind as her mind went blank and what little adrenaline was left ebbed away on the dark smoke clouds.

Author's Note: There's the next chapter for ya, the climax!  And, sadly, our story has come to an end after the next chapter.  All the questions have been answered, I think, and if not, remind me and I will revise, though I'm fairly certain I've explained most of everything.  I hope you all enjoyed it, and please review, now especially.  Keep an ear and an eye out for the last and final chapter!  Cheers!


	36. Never Say GoodBye

My God… I have never had such splendid reviews!  I have been the happiest girl on the planet for the past two days, and my family can only sit and watch as I laugh and smile every time I check my e-mail.  It had been so great hearing feedback from you.  Thank you for taking time of your weeks to read my story.  It means a lot to me.

Secrets of the Caribbean

Written By: Riley Barton

[Chapter Thirty-Five]

Peaceful.  That was the only word to describe that warm, sunny day in late summer that found Scarlett Bane standing on a balcony overlooking the ocean, adorned in a fitting baby blue gown with pearls dangling from her ears and around her neck.  A book was held in one hand, the other holding a fiery red ruby that glistened in the afternoon sunlight.  Her bright green eyes flickered between the two objects and the peaceful setting spread out before her.  All of these were different parts of her past: the gem signifying the many years she spent with Jack; the book, a reminder of her mother and the deaths and betrayal's she caused; and the beautiful ocean landscape a picture of her present life, one filled only with hope, the past gone.  But like all things, the landscape had a single flaw: the dark clouds hovering on the far horizon, and just like those clouds, her life had its dark clouds that still haunted her, taunting to ruin a perfect day.

It had been a couple months since the fire, but Scarlett could still remember it like it was yesterday.  She could still feel the smoke choking her, Carver's heavy weight in her arms, those hands reaching out for her and taking her to safety, but what haunted her above the rest was the sound of Garrett's tears as he wept for a child he thought dead.  She still heard him at night, weeping uncontrollably like he had in the middle of the torn library. 

The library had been the center of everything.  It held so many secrets: lost loves, betrayals, and even death.  It had been inside that library, burnt and smoldering in the late afternoon after the majority of the fire had died, that Garret Ansgar-Bane's body had been found, charred in the midst of ruins, clutching a book written by Shakespeare in one hand and the charred remains of a tapestry in the other.  A tormented look had been on his face, the image burnt into her mind.  She closed her eyes as tears rose, knowing that he died hating her, thinking she had killed his second daughter in a fire Jack had started.  He had died restless, holding onto the past, and full of hatred for an act that hadn't been committed.   

Scarlett opened her eyes to stare at the book she held, a book written by Shakespeare and burnt around the edges.  The pages were crispy, falling out and burnt as the wind pulled at them.  She held the book tight in one hand and returned to the guest room behind her.  A fire was burning in the fireplace, the flames still trying to reach as high as they could.  It was hot in the room, and anyone walking in would have found it odd that a fire would be burning in late summer.  But Scarlett had a use for it and walked toward the fireplace with the book held in her hand.  She paused just before the hearth.  "Here's to you, mother," she whispered, and tossed the book into the flames, watching as they licked up and swallowed the book within their burning stomachs.

Her mother had lied, cheated, and caused a couple deaths in her lifetime, and Scarlett, though at peace, was not quite so quick to forgive and forget.  The burning of the book was her way of showing that her mother was leaving no mark on her only daughter and was not going to be remembered.  She was being burnt from Scarlett's mind, only to be a pile of ashes that would be soon swept away on the wind.  Julia Bane's life had been for nothing.

As the book burned, Scarlett went to the vanity and stared at her reflection.  As she studied herself, she noticed how many similarities she had to Garrett.  The way her chin looked as if in a permanent cocky thrust, the way she looked when she frowned, and the shape of her nose –things she had never noticed before.  She smiled and shook her head.  If she were in her own home she would break the mirror as if to rid herself of Garrett, too, but since she was not, she simply turned her back on the mirror and strode out of the room. 

As Scarlett reached the bottom of the main staircase in the Swann Estate, she could hear the many voices outside as they prepared for the grand event that was about to take place.  Not wanting to be around so many people she didn't know, Scarlett went to the private patio leading off of the library, where she knew no one would be. 

Trees surrounded the small patio, casting the area in shade, except for a small section on her left where a splendid view of the ocean was.  She stood there and watching as a seagull swooped low over the water before flying upward again to the sky.  It was on this patio that she would often find herself, thinking.  The lack of man-made things such as chairs was gone, and she liked it better.  The balcony off her room upstairs showed evidence of man, and that was what she wanted to get away from.

The wind played with her hair as she thought back unwillingly to the day she wanted to forget.  It seemed peace would never find her.

Fredrick Marsh had been the one to find she and Carver stumbling around inside the house.  Jack and the rest had been searching, as well, but Fredrick had found them first.  He had been taught to deal with things with a peaceful mind in the midst of turmoil, and that was exactly what he had done. If not for him, Scarlett was not sure where she and Carver would be.

Jack and the others had found them some time later, but Scarlett had not been aware at the time.  It wasn't until two hours after Fredrick had led her out that she woke up to find the house still burning.  It had burned for many hours, seemingly never going to stop.  Scarlett had just sat there and cried, unconcerned about the fact her friends were around her.  The pain had been too overwhelming, not knowing whether or not Garrett was in there.  Despite the fact he had tried to kill her and her son, she had wept for him.  He had been just like her, lost and confused in lies and deceit and harsh reality.  They had been more alike than either had thought.  Finding Garrett dead in the library hadn't been as worse as the wait, but a heavy burden had filled her heart, and she doubted it would ever leave.  It was only by way of the love others gave her that she made it through each day.  Without them, the knowledge he had died hating her would have been too overpowering.

Scarlett shook as she recalled seeing the many bodies of people she had known brought forward to be lain to rest -Patrick, Calvin, Dan, and so many other familiar faces.  Fortunately Lennie had survived due to Fredrick's care, and all he had left to tell the tale was a memory and a scar.

Scarlett's hand tightened around the gem she still held in her hand and gazed down at it.  There were still some answers left untold.

Jack brushed his way roughly through the crowd gathered outside of the front doors to the Swann Estate.  He started as a couple young children darted out from some bushes, chasing one another.  He rolled his eyes, trying to forgo the smile crossing his face, and continued up the stairs.

Finding Scarlett in this mess wasn't as easy as it appeared.  The last Elizabeth had seen her was upstairs when they had been getting ready, but since then no one had seen her.  With that in mind, he had decided to go indoors to find her. Now that he thought about it, however, inside seemed the more logical place to find her than with the crowd of people.  With everything she had been through he could image she would want to be alone.

Scarlett wasn't in her room when he arrived there, and neither was she in the kitchen, in Carver's room that connected to his, or in Elizabeth's.  That left only one room in the house he could think of.

The library was deserted when he stepped inside, but he wasn't so easily fooled. He followed the faint breeze he felt to a pair of discreet patio doors leading out onto a small patio.  Here, he found her, standing at the railing with her hair blowing free, wearing the baby blue gown Elizabeth's father had bought for her.  Jack had never seen her look so touched or surprised when Governor Swann had presented the gift to her.  Being given such a gift from a port governor when you were a pirate was a mighty thing, indeed, not to mention shocking.  Jack, on the other hand, had been given nothing but a suit, which he was very uncomfortable in and looked like a dress-up doll; it didn't fit his style in the least.  Commodore Norrington was at the event, but on Governor Swann's orders, due to his daughter's intervention and pleading, not a single hand was to be placed on neither Jack nor Scarlett's heads.  They were there by invitation and not to be harassed in any way.  Needless to say, Jack had relished in the look of disgust and anger that had appeared on Norrington's face.

As Jack stood in the doorway, watching her as if in a world of his own, he suddenly realized she was not looking at the ocean in the distance, but rather at something she held in her hand.  He quietly walked up behind her until he could see over her shoulder.  He paused upon seeing the gemstone he had never been able to bring himself to sell.

"I see you found my ruby," he said.

Scarlett jumped and spun around, staring at him wide-eyed and caught unaware.  She let out a deep breath upon recognizing him and chuckled under her breath.  "Scared the Hell out of me, Jack," she said.

"Sorry."  Jack looked down at the gem and blinked in surprise when she held it out to him.  He took it and held it between his index finger and thumb, looking at it.

Scarlett folded her arms across her chest.  "Why didn't you sell it?" she asked quietly, looking up at him with a raised eyebrow and questioning, honest look in her green eyes.  "It would have brought in quite a bundle, and yet you've kept it all these years.  Why?"

Jack frowned, the feeling of denial rising in him.  He had known, if he found her again, he would have to explain everything, but where should he begin?  He looked out to the ocean and smiled, looking at her from the corner of his eye.  "Would ye like to take a walk along the beach?"

Scarlett and Jack walked side by side along the beach with their shoes resting up on the sand.  With her feet on the rough, coarse sand Scarlett felt herself smile, remembering happy memories of days like this out on the sand with Jack, fighting with swords and splashing in the water.  Yet here they were now, many years later, and it seemed as if nothing had changed, but one thing still lingered between them.

Scarlett didn't want to press him to tell her, and so she waited, allowing him to lead her across the sand, just beyond the reach of the ocean's lapping waves.  He removed the gem from his pocket, where he had placed it for safekeeping until they reached the beach, and looked at it in the sun's glow. 

"I couldn't sell it," he started roughly, looking forward to the distance.  "It was the only thing I had left of you and I couldn't bring myself to sell it to just anyone.  Barbossa liked to say it was my heart, torn from me by you, and left without another thought.  He didn't seem to care that it was my doing that forced you to be gone."

Scarlett remained quiet for a moment, letting it sink in.  "Barbossa never was very fond of me.  Said I was bad luck, a thorn in your side that was too stubborn to be pulled out."  She hesitated.  "Was that the reason you dropped me and left?  Because Barbossa and some of the other men didn't like the idea of a woman on board and that I overruled them, as a second captain?  You couldn't stand their snide remarks?"

Jack didn't respond at first.  "Partly," he admitted, shrugging a shoulder.  "That and my own stubborn pride and dreams."  He paused.   "Ye remember that day up in the crow's nest of the _Lonely Maid_, when you kept leaning over and I said you would fall off?"

Scarlett smiled.  "And then you pushed me and pulled me back just in time."  She looked at him.  "I remember, but why do you ask?"

"That memory's been tormenting me for years," he admitted.  "I told you that if you ever fell, I would go after you.  Yet another promise broken on my account."

Scarlett grabbed his hand.  "That's just how you are, Jack," she said.  All the anger she had felt toward him seemed to have evaporated through the past few months.  She knew why she had been angry, but if she had even tried to arouse that past anger, it couldn't be done.  He had proved himself worthy again, and the past didn't need to be brought up.  Despite all of that, though, she still wanted some answers and she silently cursed her curiousity and stubborn pride.  Digging up the past again could only bring out the worst memories.  She took a deep breath.  "We don't have to talk about this," she said abruptly, removing her hand from his.  She folded her arms across her chest and looked out to the ocean.  "I'm only ruining the friendship we've managed to build again."

Jack stared at her for a moment, fighting with himself.  Tell her or not to tell her?  He growled in annoyance and threw his hands out to either side.  "I loved you, all right?" he exclaimed, causing Scarlett to jump and spin around, staring at him in surprise and disbelief.  He smiled and laughed sardonically.  "My ideas that a pirate couldn't love had gone up in flames and I didn't know what to do with myself, so I kept me distance.  I managed to pretend ye were nothing but a crewmember, too far below me to even be approached.  That only lasted for about six or so months, but after that last fling with you Barbossa confronted me, going on about how th' crew was getting' pissed off at me and thinking of mutiny, so again, I tried to ignore you, but you were just so damn enticing and Barbossa kept getting' on me fer everything that I gave in and came up with th' scheme to leave ye at Port Royal.  And now," here he laughed even louder, "here we are again and I'm right back where I started at.  I hate the irony."  He calmed down and just stared at her.  Neither said anything, Jack surprised at his own outburst, Scarlett stunned by it all.

Scarlett had always imagined a worst-case scenario for him leaving her, but could it really have been about such simple things?  She didn't know what to think or what to say least of all; so, without much thought, she shook her head and started down the beach.  She walked a ways away before dropping onto the sand, her fancy dress forgotten.  She sat there, staring at the ocean as if it would give her the answers she sought.  Unfortunately, it told her nothing.  Jack eventually dropped down beside her, both of them remaining silent, in their own thoughts.

"I'm sorry," Jack said, just as Scarlett started to say, "If you want-"  They both stopped and look at each other.  "You go first," they both said in unison.  They both smiled and chuckled a little.

"It would seem neither of us is doin' well in the speech department," Jack commented.  "What were ye going to say, love?"

Scarlett shrugged and ran a hand through her long hair.  "I was just going to say that if you want me to leave, I will," she said quietly.  "If I'm being a bother to you, I can take Carver and find somewhere else to live."  Deep inside she wanted him to tell her not to go, that he needed her with him, but she knew he wouldn't.  A pirate never needed anyone.

"Whatever you think is best for you and Carver," Jack finally said without any emotion.  He didn't look at her, wouldn't look at her.

Fighting her emotions, Scarlett forced a smile and got to her feet.  "We should head back," she said quietly.  "The wedding should be starting soon."

Jack climbed to his own feet.  "I don't want us to part on bad terms, Scarlett."

She smiled at him, hoping her eyes wouldn't betray her.  "We're fine, Jack.  We're friends –good friends- and we always will be no matter what is thrown at us from here on out.  Now smile.  We can't have Will's best man frowning."

Jack nodded and followed Scarlett up the beach, neither touching the other.  From a distance it would have looked like two friends walking away from the beach, but in truth, a wide gap neither friend wanted had risen between them, a wall too high to climb.

"Do you have to go?"

Scarlett smiled sadly and gave Elizabeth Swann-Turner another tight hug, neither wanting to let go.  When Scarlett finally pulled away, tears were in both women's eyes.  "I need to," she replied.  "Carver and I need to get away and start a new life."  She squeezed her friend's hand.  "I promise to keep in contact with you and Will."  She smiled.  "You let me be the first to know when a little one is on the way, all right?"

Elizabeth smiled warmly.  "I'll make sure of it.  We're going to miss you, and Carver too.  You don't know how much the two of you mean to us."

Scarlett nodded.  "I'll let you know when we're settled."  She let go of Elizabeth's hand and reached for Carver's.  He took a hold of hers and allowed her to lead him to the gangplank leading up onto the merchant vessel the _Sailor's Penny_, the ship that would be taking them to their destination.  At the bottom of the plank Scarlett looked back and waved good-bye to Will and Elizabeth standing there with their arms round each other, waving good-bye.  She nodded and started up, trying to hide the disappointment that Jack wasn't there.  She wanted to laugh.  Had she honestly expected him to be?

Carver looked about frantically for the sight of his favourite pirate, a man he loved with all his little heart.  He was still trying to understand the fact that his father was that pirate.  His mother had told him just before the wedding, and he had been overjoyed.  Now, he wished she hadn't, since they were leaving him again anyways.  Tears filled his eyes, as he couldn't find Jack anywhere, and neglectedly he followed Scarlett onto the ship that was taking him away.

The _Sailor's Penny_ set sail a short five minutes later, and Scarlett and Carver waved good-bye to their friends as the ship pulled away from the wharf.  Neither of them saw the lone figure standing in an alley, watching as the ship pulled out.

A week later on midday on the eighth day of their voyage, Scarlett awoke to the sound of pounding footsteps, shouts, and whistles.  She frowned and sat up, her hammock swinging crazily.  She placed a hand on the wall to steady it, hoping the sudden rocking hadn't awoken Carver from where he slept in a hammock a few feet from her own.  She listened attentively, trying to figure out what was going on.  Only when she heard someone shout for more artillery did she spring from the hammock, grab her pistol, and run from the cabin, forgetting her shoes but making certain the door was shut and locked with a small key the captain of the vessel had supplied her with.  She tucked the key into her underclothes and dashed above deck. 

The moment she reached the main deck she was surrounded by a fury of men running about, fixing the rigging and readying their weapons.  With her heart racing, she dashed across the deck in search of the captain.  She found him at the helm, shouting out orders to his men; a determined look was on his face, but a glint of fear was in his blue eyes.

"Captain, what's happening?" she asked.

Captain Milner looked at her gravely.  "We're being chased, ma'am."  He jabbed his finger over his shoulder.  "The pirate scum is catching up fast, too."  He took a deep breath and shook his head.  "I don't like t' admit it, miss, but I don't think we're gonna lose 'em.   No ship's ever been able to out run the _Black Pearl_."

Scarlett's eyes widened and grabbed the telescope clutched in one of the captain's hands.  She ran to the bulwark, placed the telescope to her eyes, and searched in every direction until she spotted her. 

The _Black Pearl_ was flying in all of her glory, her billowing sails filled with wind and her black pirate flag waving in the breeze.  She grinned and laughed crazily.  She dropped the telescope from her eye and turned to look at the captain.  "You can let go the anchor and save yourself some time, or you can keep running.  Jack'll catch up with you no matter which way you choose."

The captain stared at her as if she had gone crazy.  "Ye act as if this were a game!"  He shook his head.  "Ye've lost yer mind, if you don't mind my saying so."

Scarlett only laughed harder.  She tossed the telescope to Milner and dashed away to grab a hold of a line of rigging.  With the agility of a cat, Scarlett climbed up the lines of rigging to the crow's nest far above.  There, she stood and watched as the _Black Pearl _advanced. 

Try as he might, the captain of the _Sailor's Penny_ couldn't outrun her, and by the end of the hour the _Black Pearl _pulled up along the starboard side of the _Penny_.  A man clad in ragged clothes with a black tricorn hat perched on his head waved cheerfully as if this was a friendly meeting.

Milner huffed in anger and shouted over to the cocky pirate captain, "We ain't got anythin' ye need on this here vessel, ye damned rogue!"

The pirate captain laughed and grinned at him.  "I beg t' differ.  I believe you do have something on that ship that belongs to me, and I would like to get it back, if ye don't mind."

Captain Milner was about to shout for his crewmen to fire at will when, suddenly, the woman passenger and her young son appeared on deck and strode right up to him.  He glared at her and grabbed her by the wrist.  "Get yer ass below deck this instant, woman!  Do ye want to get killed!"

"I suggest ye unhand her before I force ye to."

Milner looked up and blinked in surprise as the pirate captain aimed and cocked a pistol in his direction.  He grinned maniacally.  "Now let her go before I have to swing over there and save her myself."

"Save her?" Milner sputtered, staring wildly between the pirate and the woman.  He felt the woman pull away from him, but he quickly reached for her again.  "Never will I allow you to take a woman and her child for your services."

"Sir, I'm sorry to do this to you," Scarlett said, "but you've left me no choice, and I sincerely apologize for it."  With her free hand, she swung it back and brought it forward, hitting the captain's cheek with a loud slap.  Milner was so shocked he dropped her wrist and stumbled back a step, staring at her.  He stuttered, trying to say something, but it wouldn't come.  She smiled sympathetically.  "I really am sorry."  Carver stared at his mother in open-mouthed surprise.

"Mum, you just-"

Scarlett shook her head.  "Carver, I don't ever want to see you doing that to anyone, you hear me?" she said sternly.  He slowly nodded, looking at her quizzically.  She smiled.  "Good."  She then jumped on top of the bulwark and grabbed a line of flailing rigging blowing in the breeze.  She looped the rope around her wrist twice and grabbed tightly a hold of it.  She swung about so she was balancing on one bare foot and held her free arm down to her son.  "Come on," she prodded.  "I won't drop you."

Carver hesitated before reaching up and grabbing her hand.  He pushed off from the ground as Scarlett lifted him up into her arms and held him tight against her.  "Don't let go, okay?" she whispered into his ear. 

Carver nodded.  "I won't let go," and he clung tighter to her with his arms around her neck.

She grinned.  "Now hold tight and don't be scared."  With a flash of a smile to Captain Milner, she pushed away from the bulwark and swung across the gulf between the two ships.  She firmly planted her feet on the _Black Pearl_'s bulwark and stepped down.  She set Carver safely on the ground before swinging the line of rope back to the _Sailor's Penny_. 

"Welcome back aboard, lass," Gibbs said, coming up behind her.  "We've missed yer company."  He smiled.  "Jack, though, he's been desolate."  He winked and walked away, shouting, "Hoist the anchor, mates, we're movin' out!"

Carver jumped at the loud shout, but quickly overcame his surprise when it was overcome by happiness upon seeing Jack.  He grinned and ran straight for the roguish pirate standing just above them with a smirk on his face, his tricorn hat tilted jauntily over one eye.  He winked at her before scooping up the small boy into his arms.  "And who be this young rascal?" he asked playfully.

Scarlett couldn't help smiling as she slowly made her way over to the two.  She stopped just before them on the steps landing.  She laughed at Carver's apparent delight as he grabbed for Jack's hat and planted it on his own head.  Jack feigned annoyance.  "That's my hat, boy.  Who said you could steal it?"

Carver grinned.  "I did," he replied just as the hat slipped over his eyes and to his nose.

Scarlett reached up and removed the hat from her son's head.  "I think it's a little big for you."  She placed it on her own head.  "Until you grow into it, I'll keep it for safekeeping."

Jack raised his eyebrows.  "Will you now?" he asked teasingly.  He looked at Carver.  "Your mum is askin' for it.  Mind if I hurt her a little?"

Carver placed a finger to his chin and looked at Jack comically.  "Only a little," he finally said.  "I'll have to hurt you if yah hurt her too bad, though."

Jack nodded.  "We have an accord, mate." 

Scarlett grinned and, placing a hand on the hat to keep it there, took off at a fast run down the steps and across the deck.  She heard Carver laugh in delight as he was set on his own two feet, followed shortly after by pounding footfalls racing after her.  She rushed past smiling and confused crewmen, heading for the steps leading below deck.  She couldn't help remembering a day much like this many years ago.  Even then, she had stolen Jack's hat and he had been chasing her.  Only difference was this time, she was going to give him a run for his money. 

She dashed down a long corridor until she came to a ladder.  She swung down it, not even using the rungs, and dashed into the steerage section of the ship.  This was where many of the crew's cabins were, but also where some of the cargo was placed.  Stacks of crates were everywhere, and Scarlett ducked behind one.  She threw her back against the crate and stood there, trying to hush her breathing. She waited, listening for him.  He was somewhere on her left, moving away from the door.  She pouted.  He was making this too easy. 

Jack moved farther away from the door, and, as he had expected, Scarlett ran from her hiding place for the door.  Unfortunately for her, he knew where all of those crates were stacked, and he knew he could reach the door faster than she could.  He had a clear path to the door; she didn't, and would have to move around two stacks of crates before reaching it.  As such, he managed to get to the door and block it before she even knew he was there.

Scarlett skidded to a halt, flashed a grin, and disappeared again amongst the crates.  Jack shook his head and, instead of chasing after her immediately, grabbed a crate and pulled it in front of the doorway.  That would hinder her if she made it to the door, at least. 

Jack slowly edged forward, listening for her.  He was careful to step lightly so she wouldn't be as quick to hear his footfalls.  He paused before a stack of crates and listened.  There, just beyond him, he could hear her breathing, faint as it was.  His smile widened and, as quiet as he could, he made his way to it.  He edged around the side of the stack of crates and paused.  She was right next to him on the other side.  He waited a moment, and then swung around, only to find she was already disappearing around the other side.  He cursed and dashed after her. 

Only too late did Scarlett see the crate blocking the doorway.  She slowed to a stop moments before hitting it, only to be caught around the middle and swung around to face the opposite direction.  She smiled and looked back over her shoulder as Jack whispered to her, "Remember the time on the _Lonely Maid_," he said, bringing up the memory he had mentioned a week ago on the beach, "when I promised that if ye fell, I would go after you; if you ever hated me, I would go on loving you anyway; and if you ever ran away, I would find you?"  Scarlett nodded.  Jack chuckled.  "Well, I think that promise has been fulfilled."

Scarlett turned as best she could to look up at him.  "Do you?  Isn't that for me to decide?"

Jack grinned wickedly before ducking down to kiss her.  His familiar lips caressed her own, and she smiled beneath them.  She couldn't help feeling as if this was right where she belonged.  When he pulled away, he stared down at her with a twinkle in his eyes.  She looked up at him, breathlessly.

"So what is your decision then?  Has my promise been fulfilled?"

Scarlett answered with a smile and another kiss, not ever wanting to let go.

This story is now adjourned.

My story has come to an end, folks!  I can only hope you enjoyed the ride as much as I did, and I had so much fun writing this story.  I can only thank you a thousand times over for going on the journey with me.  Your reviews have meant so much.  For those of you hoping for a sequel, I don't mean to burst your bubbles, but there may not be one.  I've become worn out, and I really hope to start writing originals.  I hope to transform this one into an entirely different, original one, so if that ever occurs you guys will be the first to know.  I may write a prequel, telling the story of Jack and Scarlett before that fateful night in Port Royal, but it would only be for my amusement and the updates would be sporadic.  The choice is up to you guys, but don't get annoyed if a chapter isn't uploaded for a couple of weeks or so.  If enough people want me to I will try, but no promises!

Please review, it would mean so much to me as sort of a end-of-story going away thing.  I'll miss all of you!  Thanks again for everything you have done and for the time you've given me.  It's meant more than you now.  Later, mates!


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